The Lost Snow
by Snowfall16
Summary: When a small, helpless kit gets lost on an expedition, she meets a rogue, staying with him until she becomes an adult. As she grows older, however, she is faced with a difficult choice. Should she stay with the rogue who saved her life, or go back to her Clan? This is my first fanfiction, so please R&R! I do not own warriors, that would go to the Erins.
1. Prologue

The wind howled and raged through the tall grasses. Snow spiraled through the air, dancing around the frosted hills. The winter blizzard was freezing the moors of WindClan, forcing the Clan into old rabbit dens underground.

A small, empty clearing stood out in the whiteness, three sets of pawprints leading into it. A snowy pit fell away in the center of the clearing, snow piling into it in drifts. Three cats and one kitten were sheltering in an overhang, shivering in the cold snowstorm. One, a sleek, black and white she-cat with bright, green eyes curled around the bundle of white fur that was the newborn kit. A second black and white she-cat with softer green eyes and fluffy fur crouched beside the queen, nosing the kit.

"She's small for her size. Most kits that have no littermates are larger, but this kit is so small." She turned to the only tom there, a large, broad-shouldered cat with a light brown pelt striped with dark brown, his yellow eyes shining in the swirling snow. He looked very much like a tiger. "Diamondstar, I'm worried about Nightwhisper. She and her new kit are weak, hungry, and cold. They need a warm den and food as fast as possible. They need to rest but out of this weather."

The tom looked worriedly down at his mate, still curled protectively around their kit, who was starting to shiver. "They'll be all right, though, right?" he asked. The she-cat shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I may be the medicine cat, but even I can't be sure."

"Crystalwing," Nightwhisper murmured, speaking for the first time, "It's all right. You did your best, but my kit was destined to be small." Crystalwing bent her head.

"I feel like I failed, though. You're my sister, so your kit is my highest priority." Nightwhisper pressed her head against Crystalwing's cheek.

"It's ok," she meowed comfortingly, "You couldn't have changed the kit's body, however hard you worked. Even the best medicine cat couldn't." Crystalwing nodded, gathering herself. She nudged around the kit, grasping her scruff and pulling her into her paws. Squealing, the kit tried to make her way back to her mother, but Crystalwing blocked the way with a paw. Looking up at Nightwhisper and Diamondstar, she meowed solemnly, "Have you chosen a name for your kit yet?" Diamondstar nodded at Nightwhisper, licking her ear lovingly.

"You tell her," he meowed softly, his voice barely audible over the storm. Nightwhisper nodded and turned towards Crystalwing.

"Her name will be Snowkit, for the blizzard she was born in." Crystalwing bent her head and lightly touched the top of the kit's head.

"From this day forward, this kit will be known as Snowkit. Wear your name with pride, for this blizzard is an omen." Snowkit wriggled slightly in Crystalwing's paws, and Nightwhisper picked her up again.

"Snowkit, always remember this," she meowed, licking the kit. "You are destined for greatness, that I am sure. You will be the best cat in all the Clans. Always remember that."

Snowkit wriggled around, staring up at her mother with her clear, sky-blue eyes. Nightwhisper purred and gathered her kit in her paws. Snowkit squeaked in protest and tried to scramble away. The flash of her bright gaze caught Crystalwing's eye, and she snatched the kit up.

"Her eyes are open! She isn't supposed to have her eyes open yet!" she exclaimed, the alarm audible in her meow. Diamondstar left his mate's side for the first time that evening, and padded over to his medicine cat. He stared at his kit, eyes wide with surprise and amazement.

"Why are her eyes open? Do you know?" he murmured, worriedly glancing at Nightwhisper, exhausted but scared, at the other side of the pit.

"Well, there have been a few cases like this one," Crystalwing meowed slowly, still staring at Snowkit with amazement. Diamondstar's ears swiveled forward, and he gazed at Crystalwing with rapt attention, his eyes shining with eagerness, silently willing her to continue. "If severe weather happens, especially sudden cold, it could happen. There was a case in RiverClan, when the river froze and a newborn kit fell in. His eyes opened early, too." Diamondstar nodded, glancing around at the snowy pit.

"That would explain it," he meowed, relief in his deep meow. He returned to Nightwhisper, and Snowkit scampered over to them. She snuggled in with her mother, sighing contentedly.

In her short life, she had been an extraordinary WindClan cat. Her pelt was white, unlike many other cats. She was already playful and energetic, uninterested in sleep. Lastly, her eyes had opened early. She, however, had no clue she was extraordinary, or even unusual. She was perfectly happy with what she had, just like she should be.

The three cats and the strange kit lay there, while snow thickened, falling with even more earnest. Crystalwing, after a particularly violent shiver from Nightwhisper, announced that they should be getting back to the others. Diamondstar picked up his kit, and led the way out of the hole. Crystalwing followed, supporting Nightwhisper.

The cats padded slowly across the field of snow, until Crystalwing called to Diamondstar, "It's too much! Nightwhisper's not doing well! She needs an easier path!" Diamondstar glanced back at them, half-hidden in the snow.

"How about I tunnel under the snow?" he called back, and barely managed to see Crystalwing nod in ascent. He burrowed under the thick layer of whiteness, clawing out lumps of cold, frozen snow, and packing them into the sides of the tunnel. After a few foxlengths, he turned to talk to Crystalwing again. "Snowkit's too heavy, and she gets in the way. I don't want to put her down, because she might freeze. What should I do?"

Crystalwing considered the problem for a moment. She couldn't carry Snowkit, and neither could Nightwhisper. There seemed to be only one answer.

"We'll have to set her down, because I've got my paws full with Nightwhisper, who is too tired to carry Snowkit. She'll have to walk between me and you." Diamondstar nodded, and placed Snowkit on the ground. He continued to clear away snow, Snowkit stumbling along between the cats.

She could see, although everything was fuzzy. She thought she had gotten a snowflake in her nose, so she stopped to rub it. All of a sudden, she sneezed, the sound echoing around the small tunnel. At once, she felt the cold nose of the fluffy, black and white cat on her fur, sniffing at her worriedly. She mewled in protest, and tried to dodge her, although it was hard without clear vision.

"It was just a sneeze," the cat meowed, relieved. Snowkit couldn't understand it. She had just gotten a snowflake in her nose, and every cat had treated her like she was dying, or something.

The foursome padded along the tunnel, until they reached another tunnel, this one made of dirt. A cat stood at the entrance, his black and brown pelt almost invisible in the shadows of the tunnel.

"Diamondstar! Is this your new kit? She's so cute!" he meowed, purring at Snowkit.

"Thank you, Hawktalon," Diamondstar meowed, and padded into the tunnel. Snowkit followed, warmth washing over her. She sighed contently. This was nice, all this warmth. As she was settled into a mossy nest with her mother, she thought about how cold it was out of the tunnel, and how warm it was here. Peace flowed through her as she fell slowly asleep. She knew instinctively that she was safe. No harm could reach her here.


	2. Chapter 1

"Come on, Snowkit, wake up!" Paws pummeled her sides as Snowkit groaned, slowly opening her eyes. Two fuzzy outlines stood above her. As she blinked the sleepiness from her eyes, they came into focus. Breezekit and Windkit, Snowkit's denmates, were standing over her, grinning widely.

"What?" Snowkit grumbled.

"Come on, Snowkit! Our mothers are going to take us to the river, remember?" Breezekit rolled her eyes at her brother as she spoke to Snowkit.

_The trip to the river! _Snowkit scrambled to her paws at once, the memory and excitement rushing back. _Today was the day that she had been waiting for! The day that the queens took the kits out to see a little of the territory!_

Hastily scraping bits of moss off her pelt, Snowkit stood and looked around the WindClan nursery.

It was a fairly large bush with a spacious interior. The outside had been woven with bits of heather and gorse, making it extra strong. Heather flowers had been scattered inside, making the den smell like fresh air and sweet-smelling flowers. The two mossy nests were placed in the corners furthest from the entrance, so that the drafts didn't reach the young kits as easily. The two queens, Dewtail and Nightwhisper, were already awake, chatting to each other as they groomed themselves.

Breezekit's playful meow brought Snowkit's attention back to the other two kits in the nursery. "Let's go out and get some fresh-kill!" Windkit nodded enthusiastically, and Snowkit stood up to run out the den entrance as her answer.

The three kits tumbled out of their den and into the clearing, where the Clan was beginning to stir.

Diamondstar slipped out of the shadows behind the Tallboulder and padded over to talk with Hawktalon, the deputy, who was emerging from the warrior's den. He was followed by Streamfur and Rainstripe, who padded across to the fresh-kill pile. The three apprentices, Skypaw, Cloudpaw, and Bluepaw, were emerging from their den, blinking in the dawn sunlight. Leaftail, Gorsewater, and Heatherwing padded out of their den and slipped out the main entrance on the dawn patrol.

Emberclaw padded over to where the three kits stood in front of the nursery, watching the Clan wake. "So, today's the day you see some of the world," he purred. Snowkit nodded eagerly.

"Yeah!" she squeaked excitedly. Emberclaw nodded.

"I remember my first day out of camp as a kit. We ran into a group of foxes in their burrow. I had to climb up to a tall rock while the warriors fought. It was really scary. I remember seeing a lot of blood, and one warrior was slashed down her flank. She nearly died." He looked seriously at them. "Be careful out there," he meowed, and then padded off to greet Airpelt, who had just emerged from the warriors den.

Windkit looked at Snowkit and Breezekit. "Do you think he was teasing or warning us?" he asked uncertainly.

"Well, if he was warning us... maybe we should ask Dewtail," Breezekit meowed, glancing back at the nursery.

"I don't think he was serious at all!" Snowkit cried, bouncing up and down with excitement, "This will be the best day 'ever!'"

Windkit shrugged at Breezekit. "If Snowkit thinks so, then I guess we shouldn't worry too much."

Breezekit nodded. "Well, what about that fresh-kill?" she asked, purring. Snowkit had forgotten about the fresh-kill. She bounded over to the pile of rabbits, which was running a little low.

"The hunting patrols had better bring back something good," she grumbled under her breath as she settled down with Windkit and Breezekit to eat a particularly stringy young rabbit.

"Hey, that's not very nice!" Windkit exclaimed, purring.

Snowkit purred as well, but agreed with Windkit. "All right, I know they haven't gotten the chance to go out yet." As she chewed on a morsel of fur, Snowkit watched the nursery entrance. As soon as Dewtail and Nightwhisper came out, they could leave.

As they sat eating, the Clan was getting more active. The three apprentices padded out of the entrance for training with their mentors. Diamondstar joined Birdflare and Sungaze on a hunting patrol. Emberclaw and Airpelt padded over to say hello to Crystalwing, the medicine cat. Rainstripe walked across the clearing to talk with Dewtail, who had just emerged from the nursery with Nightwhisper.

Snowkit leaped to her paws. _They were finally out of the nursery!_ "Windkit! Breezekit! They're here!" she cried, and bounded over to her mother.

Nightwhisper purred and licked the top of Snowkit's head. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Definitely!" Snowkit meowed happily. Beckoning to Windkit and Breezekit, Dewtail padded towards the entrance, taking the lead of the small group. The three kits tumbled after her, tripping over their own paws in their eagerness to get out of the camp. At their first glance at their territory, they stopped dead, staring.

"Nice, isn't it?" purred Nightwhisper, coming up behind them.

Nice was an understatement. It was beautiful, the hills sloping gently upwards from the valley in front of them, reaching to the sky. Fluffy, white clouds floated slowly across the clear, blue sky, casting drifting shadows on the bright green grass. A path led straight through the valley, curving around the base of the hill to follow a small, clear stream flowing around the hills. Snowkit saw a few brown rabbits munching on grass beside a bunch of holes. She realized that the rabbits were eating in front of their version of a den. Diamondstar, her father, had described this scene to her, but she had never imagined it would be this amazing, or this enticing. She wished she could run down the slope and get lost in a patch of heather, drink from the stream, be free.

"Snowkit? Are you coming?" Breezekit was waiting for her at the beginning of a path she hadn't seen before, curving around the edge of the camp and out of sight.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Snowkit replied hastily. She bounded forward, brushing along the grass that lined the trail. By following the others, she managed to make it to the bottom of the hill without getting lost. Dewtail led the kits up the next hill, and around a second valley, a little like the first one in front of the camp. They padded along a narrow gully and through a clump of heather. All the while, Windkit and Breezekit were playing, chasing each other around and around.

Snowkit joined them at first, but decided against it after a while. She was too excited to care much about Catch the Tail, Rabbit, and the other games they usually played together.

The sun beat down hard on Snowkit's back as she walked along, making her feel hot and tired, draining her excitement of the river. She knew they must not be far away, but there was another water source she knew of.

The stream she had spotted from the top of the first hill in front of the camp had been enticing enough, even without a burning pelt and a dry tongue. She thought longingly of it. The cool, clear water seemed a long ways away, but she was very thirsty, and thought she knew the relative location of it, and the river could be a long ways away, perhaps across the territory from here. Finally, it grew to be too much.

"Nightwhisper, can I go make dirt?" she asked, her voice higher pitched than normal due to lack of use and thirst.

"Of course, Snowkit. We're going to head along to the top of the hill over there, so you can meet us there, ok?"

Snowkit nodded and padded off behind a large, thick clump of green grass. She wondered how it managed to stay green, even with no water in sight. She listened hard, waiting for the others to move onward, at least to the bottom of the hill Nightwhisper had indicated.

Once their pawsteps faded to nothing, she slipped out from behind the grass stalks and back along the path, hoping the others wouldn't notice her absence much.

She was going at a steady pace until she thought that maybe it would be a little quicker if she went through the grass instead of along the path. She padded over to a clump of grass and forced her way through it, then began clawing a path through to reach the stream.

It was tiring work, and she began panting. Her thirst increased severely, adding to the difficulty. Stalks of grass cut her paw pads, slowing her down. Snowkit wondered if she should go back to walk along the path instead, but decided against it. She should be nearly there.

On she worked, through the hot sunlight, until she decided that she must have missed it, that it had, perhaps, curved away around another hill. She turned to follow the path back, even if it took longer, only to find that the grass was closing around her path!

With a yowl of fright, she plunged forward, racing along the path, but the grass was closing, even more quickly. It was getting narrower and narrower, quickly closing in around her. She looked wildly around, skidding on the loose stalks, as the grass closed on her path, and it disappeared forever.


	3. Chapter 2

Snowkit wailed and buried her nose in her paws. If cats could have cried, she would have. It was stupid, she realized, to go back without someone else, and even stupider to go through the grass. She had no idea what the territory looked like or how to get anywhere. Now, she was lost in the middle of a large territory, with no hope of any cat knowing where she was or coming to look for her. She should have gone along the path to reach the stream, not gone plunging through the tall, unknown grass. There would be no rescue, no cat to come running to save her. She was alone in a large, intimidating world.

After some time, she stopped wailing and looked up. The last traces of her trail, both the ones in front and behind her, had disappeared completely, with no trace whatsoever to lead her back to camp. Wails threatened to overcome her again, but she straightened, pulling herself together. There was no time to be weak. She had to find her way back to camp and apologize.

As she stared around, she realized that she had absolutely no idea where to go. This was a quite large problem. She needed to know where to go, do she could make it back to camp. She needed a plan, a direction to follow.

Choosing a direction at random, she padded off, forcing her way through the tall grass. The way was difficult, her cut paws providing an even harder obstacle than the grass.

She began getting faint from lack of water, her vision blurry and her paws clumsy. She thought longingly of the clear, cool puddle in camp, where she could drink whenever she wanted. She hoped she was nearing the stream, even the top of a large hill to look around.

The ground flattened out, and the scent of WindClan seemed to be getting fainter, but she ignored it. This was probably just an area in the middle of the territory where the warriors hunted less often.

As the sun began setting, she finally spotted a flash of sunlight on water. With a cry of delight, she raced forward, thinking she had found the stream at last. As she neared the water, however, she saw that it wasn't clear and crystal-like, as she had thought. It wasn't even a stream.

Instead, she saw a muddy-brownish pond, with dirty reeds floating just beneath the surface. She flinched away from the disgusting sight for a second, but her overwhelming thirst took hold, and she drank a few mouthfuls. It was disgusting, but it was better than nothing. She forced herself to take one more mouthful and stood up, looking around.

As she shook the mud from her whiskers, she spotted something else on the other side of the pond. It looked like a bush planted on a long, brown pole. She bounded around the pond, and padded towards it. She saw claw-marks on it, but had no idea what they might mean. She circled it, gazing upward at the thing. She searched in her memory, and then finally found something. Eagleflight and Sandfoot, the elders, had told her about a _tree_ once. The description of it fit the image in front of her perfectly - a brown stick, only much bigger, with a large, leafy bush on top. _So this is a tree_ Snowkit thought with wonder. She looked up at the tree, examining it thoroughly.

A leaf rustled behind her, and she whirled around, tiny claws extended. A flutter of quick pawsteps circled the tree, and then stopped. Snowkit watched the place where she had last heard something, listening intently.

Suddenly, the wind was knocked from her, and she went flying through the air. A heavy something landed on top of her, and a voice hissed, "Well, what do we have here?"

Gasping, Snowkit wriggled around to face upward. She found herself gazing into the face of the ugliest cat she had ever seen. He was black with a white forehead, his yellow eyes glittering with spite. His face was twisted in a snarl, and one ear was ripped wide open. A large, half-healed scar slashed across his face and across his nose.

"Oh, it's a kit. Hello there," the tomcat growled aggressively in her face. Snowkit was frozen with fear, his claws poking into her neck. If they had been extended to their full length, they would have sunk right through her neck fur and she would be lying there, dead. She couldn't see any way out of this situation. It would probably end with the tom biting her neck and leaving her to die, just like he should have done when he leaped.

She laid there, the cat staring down at her, his yellow eyes narrowed in thought, until the stars were beginning to appear, and he still had not made any move. His eyes had lost some of their evil glitter, and he looked like he was thinking harder than before. All Snowkit could think to do was to stay completely still and hope that she would make it out of there alive.

As the crescent moon rose in the inky black sky, the tom finally moved. He sat back and gazed at her through slightly less narrowed eyes than before. Snowkit slowly sat up, but jumped when a purr suddenly burst from him. "Well, you can stay still for a while," he meowed in a much nicer, amused voice.

Snowkit crouched warily, trying to make sense of it all. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak. "Who are you?" she squeaked, her voice high-pitched and terrified. She swallowed, attempting to control her voice.

"Me? I'm called Stragger," the cat meowed, "I'm what you Clan cats call a rouge."

Snowkit blinked, surprised. So this was a rogue. Sandfoot had told her what a rogue was, although she had made them sound a lot more vicious. "Is this your territory?" she asked, and was glad to hear that her meow had returned to normal.

"Yes, it is," Stragger meowed, padding over to the tree, "This is the edge of it. I scratch trees to mark my territory, unlike you Clan cats, and I'm quite sure you saw the claw-marks."

Snowkit nodded. Now, she knew why the marks were there. Stragger had clawed them to mark the edge of his territory.

"Do you want to come back to my den with me?" Stragger asked her.

"Sure!" Snowkit replied gratefully. She did need a place to rest, and she was getting very hungry. She doubted that she could find her way back to WindClan territory, anyway.

Stragger slipped off through the shadows of a bush, and disappeared. Scared she would lose him, Snowkit hurried after him. Stragger padded up a small rise behind the bushes, then into a thick stand of trees. Snowkit caught up with him, looking around.

"What is this place?" she asked. "This? Haven't you seen a forest before?" Stragger stared at her, and then looked back at the moorland. "You must be from WindClan, right?" Snowkit nodded. "Well, you know a tree, right? Well, this is a forest, which is a large group of trees and bushes."

Snowkit padded behind Stragger as he went deeper into the forest, wondering for the first time in her life if she didn't have the best Clan ever. This was the first time she had seen a tree, let alone a forest. Was she missing something about the world?

"Here we are!" Stragger meowed, startling Snowkit out of her thoughts. They had arrived at a large, grassy clearing beside a clear, sweet-smelling river. A tree stump lay next to a hollow, mushroom-covered log near one side, with a sandy strip of land beside the river. A small hole opened in the bottom of a large, sturdy looking tree in the exact center of the grassy clearing. Clumps of flowers stood here and there amongst the grass, around the log, and beside the river. Reeds grew on the opposite side of the river, which was splashing and swirling cheerfully. Through a gap in the leaves above their heads, Snowkit could see a few stars, shining brightly in the black sky. She looked around at Stragger, who was watching her almost warily.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly, his yellow eyes glimmering in the soft light from the stars.

"It's wonderful," Snowkit purred happily.

If cats could blush, Stragger would have done so. He looked down at his paws, and licked his chest to cover up his embarrassment. Snowkit padded over to the hole and peered inside. It looked rather dark, and she didn't like going underground very much.

"Is this where we sleep?" she asked Stragger. "Yes," he replied, pushing past her and entering the hole. With more than a little trepidation, Snowkit followed. It was dark, dirty, and a little wet in the hole. Snowkit was unhappy that it seemed to slope steeply downward, but brightened when it leveled out after about a tail-length and began to climb after a few more pawsteps. Stragger led the way confidently onward, and they began to climb in steep spirals. Snowkit followed with a growing suspicion.

She called ahead to Stragger, "Stragger? Are we climbing up the tree from the inside?"

Stragger's voice echoed back to her in the tunnel, "Yes. I'm glad to see you're a bright kit." Snowkit glowed with the praise, padding forward with a slight spring in her step. Stragger didn't seem like the type to give out praise easily.

After a few fox-lengths, they emerged onto a large branch. Looking up, Snowkit gasped. Huge branches provided a way up to the top, like stepping stones in midair. Above the branches, a woven platform made of sticks provided the main den, laden with moss. Two branches heavily burdened with leaves arched over the den, providing shelter from snow and rain.

Stragger leaped up through the branches, with Snow following close behind him. As they emerged, Snowkit glanced up at the leafy branches. She would miss sleeping beneath the stars.

Noticing her glance, Stragger padded to the edge and meowed, "Look, I know WindClan sleeps beneath the open sky, so I could take the leaves away if you wanted."

Snowkit stared, her mouth hanging open, while Stragger reared up onto his hind paws and grabbed a branch. Using his weight, he swung the branch around to a small loop of vine in the floor. He hooked the branch through the vine, pulling on the ends to secure it. He did the same with the other one, so that Snowkit could see every star in the sky.

She shut her mouth, and then glanced towards Stragger. After opening and closing her mouth for a few heartbeats, she managed to say, "Thank you."

Stragger purred. "No problem," he meowed. Padding over to a soft pile of moss, he raked it together with his claws, forming a nest. He nudged Snowkit into it, and she sat down, sniffing the moss. "This will be your nest," he meowed, then turned and leaped into his own nest, on the far side of the platform. "Sleep well," he meowed, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Snowkit purred, but couldn't get comfortable. Stragger seemed all right, but he was a rogue. He didn't know her, or any cat she knew. He was a stranger, but she didn't think she could live without him. She knew instinctively that he wouldn't kill her in the middle of the night, and would give her something to eat in the morning. She had no idea why she trusted him, but she needed him at the moment. He had saved her life.


	4. Chapter 3

Snowkit scrambled out of the tree hole, shaking loose earth from her fur. Stragger had promised to take her out to teach her how to survive today.

After the fateful day when she nearly died and Stragger had saved her, Snowkit wanted to learn to find direction, how to hunt and fight, and to live like the other Clans. She thought it might be useful someday if she knew how to climb trees and swim, to navigate by the stars and to hunt for all types of prey.

She was so excited, she nearly tripped over her paws as she followed Stragger to the river, where she knew she would be learning to swim and fish. As it was, she splashed into the shallows before she could stop on the banks of the river, and she had to hop out and shake herself dry before they could begin. She looked up at Stragger intently as he began to speak.

"Now, today you will learn the basics of swimming, hunting, and climbing trees. This evening, you can learn to fight a little, and we will stay up late to learn the stars." Snowkit nodded energetically, her eyes shining with eagerness.

"I warn you, this will be difficult, and you will be very tired by the end of the day." Snowkit nodded vigorously again, eager to begin.

Stragger nodded, amusement lighting his gaze. "Very well, but I warned you," he meowed. He padded off into the river, with Snowkit following closely behind him.

He turned to Snowkit when he reached the middle of the water, looking at her seriously. "This is what you have to do," he meowed, ducking down until only his head stuck out.

Snowkit watched intently as Stragger spread out his forepaws, then, with a kick of his hind paws, began cutting through the water easily. It looked like he was enjoying himself, with the water streaming off his whiskers and his paws pumping the water behind him.

Snowkit waded out into the middle of the river, eager to try it for herself. The water caught her paws as she lifted them off of the muddy river bottom, making her unsteady. It swirled and splashed, clear as air, and Stragger finally noticed Snowkit.

"No, Snowkit!" he yowled, but Snowkit had already leaped forward, her forepaws splayed as Stragger had done. As she landed, she felt downward with her hind paw, feeling nothing but cool water. For all she knew, the river could be bottomless. Excited, she pushed with her paws and began swimming.

"I'm doing it!" she cried, splashing forward, her tail waving madly for balance.

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt herself tipping forwards. The river current was too much for her small body, and it pushed her under with barely enough time for a last gulp of air.

She sped along under the river, pushed by the current, until her foot caught on a bit of water reed. She struggled, sending bubbles to the surface, along with some loose fur. The reed tightened, encircling her paw so she had no hope of resurfacing. She shrieked in terror, releasing a lot of precious air, which drifted to the surface, lost forever. The dark, cold waters pressed in upon her, and her eyes started to close. She knew this was the end. As she drifted into unconsciousness, she felt teeth grab the reed, pulling her to the surface.

As her head broke the surface, and cool, clear air hit her muzzle, she coughed, her eyes flying open and her consciousness flooding back to her, looking around for her savior. Stragger was floating next to her, the reed held tightly in his mouth.

He dragged her over to the side of the river, where he spat out the reed and took her scruff in his mouth instead. He pulled her onto the dry, sandy bank of the river, where she coughed a few more times, spitting out dirty river water.

All of a sudden, she turned over and vomited up a large mouthful of water. After that, she felt well enough to look up at Stragger, standing over her, panting and dripping water all over.

"Sorry," she whispered. Stragger looked very angry.

"That was a very stupid thing to do!" he growled. Snowkit cowered as he leaned over her, teeth showing slightly. After a while, however, he pressed his nose to the top of her head. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, relief shaking his meow.

This was the first he had gotten emotional in front of her. Surprised, she pressed her nose against his paw.

"I'm all right," she meowed faintly, and licked his wet fur. The sun shone down upon them as they lay there, drying them off. After a while, Snowkit meowed, "Was I doing it right?"

Stragger nodded, and meowed, "Yes, and of you were a little heavier, you could've swam like I did." He smiled at her, and she purred.

She loved it when he smiled, even though he did it so rarely. It was as if his whole face changed, and he looked like a young cat again, with his fur appearing to glow. His muscles relaxed, and he started purring.

Snowkit stood up, looking back at the river. "Should we get to hunting?" she asked.

"Sure," Stragger meowed, standing as well. His smile had disappeared, and he was his usual, rather grumpy self again.

Leading them into the trees, he began smelling the breeze. "I'm scenting the air for prey," he explained, since Snowkit was confused. Nodding, she began smelling the air as well.

Stragger scented a small, brown, furry creature he called a _vole_. Snowkit watched him as he crouched and stalked the creature, hiding behind bushes, and his feet light as clouds.

Snowkit had to fight down a purr when she realized this was how ThunderClan must hunt. It looked so funny!

When he was close enough, Stragger pounced on the vole, landing squarely on its back. It squealed, and Stragger snapped its neck, silencing it. He brought the vole over to Snowkit, letting her smell it properly.

It had a musty, leafy smell, almost like rotting bark. It reminded her of the decaying log back in the clearing.

"We'll use this for practice back at the tree," Stragger told her, "We can bury it here to keep it safe from predators."

Snowkit immediately started scraping a small hole in the ground, continuing until Stragger told her to stop. He dropped the vole into the hole, and covered it with extra dirt and leaves.

"We need a marker so we can find it again," he meowed, picking up a small, rounded stone in his mouth and placing it on the slight bulge in the ground, marking the spot where the vole was buried.

Snowkit followed him as he led her away from the vole, and they came to a mossy field.

"Here we can practice battle moves," he meowed, "The moss will protect us from getting hurt." Snowkit nodded and began backing away across the field. Stragger was a couple foxlengths away when she made her move.

Racing forwards, she flung herself at Stragger, who merely stepped aside and let her fly past him. Snowkit turned and lunged again, giving Stragger no time to dodge. She attempted to grasp his ears, but Stragger blocked her with a paw and swiped his other paw through the fur on her forehead. She staggered backwards, stunned but unhurt.

"That's why you should listen to me first," Stragger meowed patiently. Snowkit nodded and sat down as Stragger began. "The first move is very basic. It's called the Front Strike."

He demonstrated how to do it, lunging forwards and slashing his paw down an invisible enemy warrior's fur, his claws flashing in the sun. Snowkit tried it and found that it was easy.

"Can I try another?" she asked eagerly, sitting up. Stragger nodded and showed her the Front Blow. Snowkit did the Front Swipe again, with her claws sheathed. Obviously the two moves were connected in some way.

"Add some more power to your paw," Stragger meowed, demonstrating the move again. Snowkit tried it again and it seemed to fit her paw perfectly. "Good," Stragger congratulated her, and then stood up next to her. "This next one's called the Leap-And-Hold."

He leaped into the air, twisted, and landed squarely on his paws. Snowkit tried it on Stragger, but twisted too early and crashed into his chest.

"Try again," he meowed, backing up while she recovered her balance. Snowkit tried and slipped on his back, landing off to the side. She tried again and again until she finally got it right. Stragger was evidently satisfied for the day.

"That was a good training session," he meowed, leading her back to the clearing. Snowkit was, as Stragger had predicted, exhausted, but her mind was buzzing.

The setting sun had blazed over them while Snowkit had perfected her moves, and night was falling as Stragger began the walk through the forest once again. As the stars began popping out, Stragger led them back to the vole, uncovered it, and they padded back to their clearing. Stragger led Snowkit up to the stick platform, where they lay side by side under the stars.

"I know a few stars, like the Great Warrior." She pointed upward with her paw at a star, which was glowing brightly overhead.

"Yes, some of us call it the North Star," Stragger replied. Snowkit nodded, and then indicated a group of stars next to the Great Warrior.

"Those are the Tiger's Claws," she meowed, "We named them in honor of a great warrior named Tigerstar."

Stragger glanced at them, and then turned to the other side of the sky. "That is the Lion," he said, pointing at a group of stars almost directly above them.

Snowkit nodded, seeing the lion, his mouth open in a roar of triumph. "What's that he's standing over?" she asked, indicating a stick-like group of stars beneath the Lion.

"That is the Defeated Twoleg," Stragger replied.

Snowkit continued asking questions and pointing out some stars she knew, like the Mouse and the Symbol of Wind. Soon, the moon was high overhead, almost full in the stars' glow.

Snowkit's eyes began to droop, and she barely heard Stragger as he told her about the history of the Winged Rabbit. In a few heartbeats, she was asleep.

That night, she had a very strange dream. She was walking along a forest path towards a mysterious fog. She sped up when she heard a yowl, speaking of ultimate torture. _Stragger!_

She raced along, and the mist enveloped her. It seemed to be solid, tripping her and blocking her. Stragger yowled again, his voice echoing eerily in the fog.

She woke, panting and sweating, in her nest at the top of the tree. Stragger was sleeping peacefully, although he was twitching slightly.

Snowkit sighed in relief. _Just a nightmare_ she thought. With that, she curled up again, and fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 4

Snowkit splashed out of the cool river, shaking her fur free of drops.

She knew she was growing up. Her fur had lost its fluffiness and become sleek. Her hind legs had grown long, like her mother's. Her muscles had hardened and strengthened, as well.

After the first day when she had learned how to survive from Stragger, she had learned to fish, hunt, fight with more skillful battle moves, and even to leap high into the air to catch large birds, such as falcons.

Ten moons had passed since the day she had met Stragger, and she knew instinctively that she would have been a warrior by this time, had she been in the Clans.

If she had returned, she could have trained with Windkit and Breezekit, had an official mentor, and lived with her parents. She might even have had brothers and sisters.

She didn't really know why she hadn't gone back, but it had felt like the right thing to do, somehow, to stay by the river with Stragger. He had saved her, a helpless kit dying of hunger and thirst, and had treated her like his own kit. He had taught her all he knew, and she had learned even more, teaching him what she found out.

During those times, she would walk with him, maybe sit by the river or on the stick platform, and they would just talk. It was nice to lie on the sand with him and watch the river go by, or hunt for voles in the forest, as well as talking. She loved to swim and explore on the far side of the river, too.

It was beautiful here, by the clear, blue river, and she didn't want to leave it behind.

Someday, she might go back to WindClan, but for now, she stayed with Stragger. She wasn't going to leave today, anyway. Today was a very important day.

Stragger had talked to her the previous night, and they had agreed to give her a warrior name. She wouldn't be Snowkit any longer!

At that moment, Stragger padded over to her, his black fur groomed for the occasion.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes!" Snowkit meowed, grinning happily.

With a nod, Stragger padded off to the tree, slipped into the dark, dirty hole, and disappeared.

Snowkit waited for him to emerge, holding her breath.

It seemed to take a lifetime for Stragger to appear at the top, but his face finally emerged, the sun behind him, making him appear to glow. Even so, his voice was his usual, low growl as he began speaking.

"I, Stragger, rogue of the Silent Forest, call upon the cats of the Clans to look down on this young cat. She has trained hard to understand the ways of the wild, and now I commend her to the world as a warrior in her turn. Snowkit, do you promise to wear your new name with pride, remembering the hard work it took to achieve it?"

Snowkit blinked in surprise at the changed words. He was a rogue, not a Clan leader, and they did live in the Silent Forest, but she never knew he had no ancestors. He must think cats vanished when they died. _Or hoped?_ She shook the thought away. _Why would he hope cats disappeared?_

"I do," she meowed.

"Then by the powers of the wild cats, I give you your warrior name. From this moment onward, you will be known as Snowfall. This name honors your loyalty and bravery, and I welcome you as a full warrior of the Silent Forest."

Snowfall purred in delight, relishing the sound of her new name.

"Thank you, Stragger," she meowed, "Thank you for giving me my warrior name."

Stragger slipped down the tree, this time seeming to take only a few heartbeats before he emerged.

"No problem," he purred, "It was easy. You earned it many times over."

Snowfall purred in happiness, then looked up at the sky. "It's almost sunhigh. Should we check the borders or hunt?"

Stragger looked at his paws.

"What's up?" Snowfall asked him worriedly, wondering what was wrong.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to travel downstream. I've been thinking that maybe we could move territories."

Snowfall gazed into his yellow eyes, amazed. "You want to move territories?"

They had never moved territories before, although Stragger had told her he had moved a few days before they met. It was why she hadn't smelled him when she saw his marker.

Snowfall knew the river travelled from the large, snow-capped mountains to the north, through a few flowery, mossy fields, and on to their forest and the Clan lands.

"You really think so?" Snowfall asked. Stragger nodded, switching his gaze from his paws to her face.

"Now?" Snowfall whispered even softer than before. Stragger nodded again, staring intently at her face. They were almost the same height by then.

Snowfall looked at her paws, unsure. Should she go? The clearing beside the river felt like home. She didn't want to have to leave it. However, she knew she couldn't leave Stragger.

Making up her mind, at last, she meowed, "Well, I guess so, sure."

Stragger sighed in relief, his whole body relaxing. "Well, let's go!" he meowed, leaping over a clump of white and yellow flowers and racing to the river.

Snowfall looked around at the grassy, green clearing. She would miss it a lot.

"Coming?" Stragger called from the riverbank.

"Yes!" Snowfall called back. She bounded over, and then waded out into the river, shivering as the cold water curled around her paws.

Ever since her near drowning as a kit, she had worked extra hard at swimming, so she was now an expert in the water.

She slipped in beside Stragger, and began pulling herself through the water. With Stragger beside her, she felt like she could go forever, which, of course, she couldn't.

As the sun began to fall, she started to tire. Stragger was panting, as well.

"Should we stop soon?" Snowfall asked him after a while more of struggling.

Stragger nodded and meowed, "Yes, but first we need to find the right place."

They continued swimming, until they were nearing Clan land. They were both aching all over, and Snowfall was sure her legs would fall off soon.

Remembering the river in the Clan lands, she caught up to where Stragger was plowing determinedly onward, deciding to tell Stragger something important.

"Stragger, there's a gorge and rapids up ahead," she meowed uncertainly.

"I know," Stragger meowed confidently. Snowfall's uncertainty increased when she could see RiverClan territory, with the reeds waving lazily in the slight wind from WindClan.

Luckily, Stragger hopped out of the river then and padded around a small dip in the open ground, hopping into what was obviously a tunnel.

Snowfall followed him, ducking into the tunnel entrance, cool air enveloping her. She gagged on the stale air as they moved deeper in, but kept up with Stragger.

He led her to a small, underground cave. It was a wet place, moist and earthy. The air was full of the sound of dripping water, and white, fuzzy mushrooms grew along the cave walls.

Snowfall looked around for Stragger, but he'd disappeared. Sniffing quickly around for his scent, she followed it to a small tunnel she hadn't noticed before.

Entering, she found a huge pile of moss, kept fresh and green by the constant supply of water. Stragger was settling into the pile with comfort, beckoning to Snowfall. She crept into the pile, sinking deep into it.

With an idea forming in her mind, she crept around Stragger, and then pounced on top of him. With a cry of surprise that echoed around the cave, he rolled over, pushing her deep into the moss.

She squealed in surprise and grabbed his ears. With a grunt, Stragger pulled away and leaped on top of her. Snowfall batted him away, her kithood memories coming back to her.

She remembered wrestling with Windkit and Breezekit, running around the clearing, and of sleeping with Nightwhisper.

She remembered Emberclaw telling them about his trip around the territory.

She remembered how she had been thirsty, how she had circled back and gotten lost.

She recalled her day of wandering far from the territory, of meeting Stragger.

She remembered the night when he had taught her how to navigate by the stars, how she had learned the Lion and the Winged Rabbit. She remembered the Defeated Twoleg, and a purr rose to her lips.

She was so immersed in memories, she didn't notice Stragger until he was on top of her. She rolled, wrestling him off of her, and they broke apart, panting.

Stragger was smiling again, his face glowing with happiness. Snowfall herself felt happy. Exhausted, yes, but happy, too. She hadn't felt this happy since she had gotten first pick of the fresh-kill pile because she had won a race as a kit.

After a while, they both calmed down, and Stragger turned away, his face darkening.

Snowfall wondered why. She had never asked Stragger about his past, but there had never been a right time. Now, however, seemed like the time to ask.

"Stragger?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes?" he answered, a little stiffly, as if trying to hide something.

"What happened to you? What's your past like?"

Stragger froze, staring at the opposite wall. He appeared to be fighting for an answer, and Snowfall didn't speak.

"None of your business," he finally growled, curling deeper into the moss. He wrapped his tail around his ears, so that he couldn't hear her.

Sighing, Snowfall turned over on her side of the moss. She wondered what could have made Stragger so unwilling to talk about his past.

There wasn't much time for her to ponder the matter, however. Her aching limbs caught up with her, and her eyes began to close. In a matter of heartbeats, she was fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 5

Wind whipped around Snowfall, ruffling her fur the wrong way.

She stood beside Stragger at the top of a small hill. She was looking off towards the place where she knew WindClan territory lay. Memories were surging back to her as if carried on the wind.

She wondered how Windkit and Breezekit, obviously warriors now, were doing. Nightwhisper may have even had another litter of kits, as far as she knew. Diamondstar could've lost a couple more lives.

She was so close to home, and yet so far. Snowfall narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking. _Where was home?_

She had lived in WindClan for the first three moons of her life. She had a warrior name. All her family was over the ridge of windy hills in front of her. Yet, Stragger had saved her life. He had trained her and helped her grow into a warrior. She lived in no Clan now, however much she may want to. Did this mean she was a rogue, like Stragger?

A warning growl from beside her made her jump out of her thoughts, looking wildly around for danger. Stragger was crouching aggressively, his teeth showing in a menacing snarl. His fur was bushed up, and his tail was lashing back and forth. His yellow eyes sparked with anger as he gazed down at the bottom of the hill through narrowed eyes.

Snowfall looked down, too, and understood the danger at once. Four cats, their fur sleek and shiny, were racing up the slope towards them.

The wind shifted, carrying their scent to Snowfall, who realized at once who the cats were. There was no mistaking the fishy smell, even though she had only smelled it once in her life. These cats were RiverClan, and she and Stragger were trespassing on their territory.

She glanced over her shoulder, searching the land. _There._ Her eyes found a trail of flattened grass winding along the ground several tree-lengths behind them. They had crossed the border without knowing it, and now were going to pay the price.

Snowfall turned back to the advancing warriors, and found one cat, a sleek, dark brown tom with green eyes, almost nose-to-nose with her. She stepped back a few pawsteps, before regaining her courage and stepping forwards again.

"What do you want?" she growled, showing her teeth. The tom hissed in exasperation, then approached very close to her.

"Who are you?" he growled, his ears flat against his head.

Snowfall raised her paw slightly. "Snowfall," she spat, a hint of uncertainty in her mind.

The tom froze, staring at her in undisguised amazement. "But that's a warrior's name!" he gasped, obviously confused.

Snowfall stepped forward, taking advantage of his faltering aggression. "That's right! Do you have a problem with that? What's your name, anyway?"

The tom glanced back at his companions, his gaze finding a silvery, slender she-cat. She stepped forwards to converse with the tom, and Snowfall pricked her ears to listen in on the hushed conversation.

"Silvertail, she has a warrior name, but she doesn't smell like any Clan. She seems to be a rogue or loner, like the tom."

The silver cat narrowed her eyes slightly in worry. "But how could she have a warrior name, then? Reedfish, what if she's lying about her name?"

Reedfish blinked, obviously startled. "That's a good theory, but is it true?"

"Only one way to find out," Silverfish meowed grimly. She padded over to Snowfall again, her lip curling slightly. "Tell us your real name," she hissed, the sunlight flashing on her unsheathed claws.

Snowfall unsheathed her own claws and stood her ground. "I told you, it's Snowfall," she growled, "If you want a different name then that, you can ask Stragger what his name is." Stragger was still crouching, his fur bushed out and eyes narrowed aggressively.

Silvertail snorted impatiently. "If you don't tell us your name, we'll have to take you to Silentstar," she warned.

Snowfall spat in her face. "I'll tell your leader the same story. By the way, what happened to Wavestar?"

Reedfish gaped at her, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. "How do you know about Wavestar?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'll tell that to Silentstar," Snowfall retorted, narrowing her eyes.

Silverfish turned uncertainly to the two other warriors there. "Frogstream, cover their left side, and Troutclaw can take the right. Reedfish, you get behind them and I'll lead the way. We'll take them to camp." The warriors took up their positions, Troutclaw spitting at Stragger as he took up his place.

Frogstream was a light gray tom with brown eyes, and he walked with a limp. However, his reflexes seemed very fast, despite his leg. Troutclaw was muscular and sturdy, his orange fur fluffier than normal for a RiverClan cat. His blue eyes darted from side to side, quick and lively.

Snowfall felt a nudge from behind, and turned to see Reedfish nosing her roughly onward.

"I can walk," she hissed irritably.

"Go on, then!" Reedfish growled, "You did want to see Silentstar in the first place."

Snowfall raised her head and walked forward; clinging to what little pride she had left.

The six cats padded down the slope, then along the bottom of the hill to a clear, lively stream. They followed it for a while, before it opened into a marshy area. Snowfall had to shake mud off of her feet with each pawstep; otherwise her paws would be entirely coated with brown, icky stuff when she got to the RiverClan camp.

Silvertail led the way through a clump of reeds, along a path through the bog, and up a short, grassy slope. There, a thick barrier of reeds was circling around what was obviously the camp. Snowfall saw a warrior with black fur and amber eyes guarding the entrance, but he stepped aside when he saw the cats and they walked into the camp.

It was very wet – Snowfall could see that at once. The ground was squishy and muddy, the barrier dripping onto the cats in it. The dens seemed to be made of damp twigs, and Snowfall could clearly hear a river rushing somewhere close by.

She looked around and spotted a few cats she knew. Silentsplash - no, Silentstar now - was standing outside a large den with a few other warriors, including Ripplepelt, Riverfoot, and Splashtalon. Some apprentices were scurrying around a den with ancient-looking sticks around the entrance.

Snowfall looked around properly at all the dens, seeing that they were all identical, except for the twigs around the entrances. The den with kits tussling around it must be the nursery, because it had young-looking branches around the entrance, with small buds around it. The apprentices den was probably the one with larger buds and a few small leaves. The warriors den was most likely the one with full, green leaves sprouting around the entrance, while the medicine den was the den with herb clumps around the entrance. The elders lived in the den with the ancient branches Snowfall had noticed before, and Silentstar slept in his den, with long, thick branches curving around the entrance.

A tall tree stood by the leaders den, probably used for addressing the Clan. Snowfall spotted a pile of fish lying in a wet, muddy hole by the warriors den, and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She had been taught to fish, but she had never really acquired a taste for them.

She felt a nudge in her hindquarters, but didn't turn to see who had done it. Reedfish obviously wanted her to step forward, probably to greet Silentstar.

Snowfall moved across the camp, toward the small group of cats beside the warriors den. Silentstar looked up, watching Silverfish as she opened her mouth to speak.

"We found these two rogues on our territory. They were near the WindClan border. One of them claims to have a warrior name." Silentstar's eyes roved over Stragger's face and came to rest on Snowfall, who forced herself to look directly into Silentstar's yellow eyes.

"What happened to Wavestar? He was the leader when I lived in a Clan," she meowed steadily.

A few cats around the edges gasped in shock, then grew deathly still and silent. Every eye was on Snowfall and Silentstar. Ripplepelt stood and padded quickly to Silentstar's side.

She whispered urgently in Silentstar's ear, but Silentstar flicked her ear impatiently. Ripplepelt shrunk back slightly and stood behind her leader.

Snowfall continued to stare straight at Silentstar, her sky-blue eyes blazing. After what seemed like a lifetime, Silentstar spoke.

"You'd better come into my den to tell me your story. Your friend can come as well. I hope you don't mind my deputy's presence?" Snowfall shook her head and followed the RiverClan leader into her den behind the tall tree.

It was smaller than a normal den, due to there only being one cat sleeping in it.

Snowfall sat on one side of the entrance, curling her tail neatly around her paws. Silentstar sat in her nest, a bundle of moss and feathers stacked on top of a small, woven bundle of sticks. Ripplepelt followed Silentstar in, sitting beside the nest. She was obviously the deputy. Stragger padded in last, sitting in front of the entrance.

Snowfall took a deep breath and looked into Silentstar's eyes again.

"Well?" Silentstar prompted, "What is your story? Why do you claim to have a warrior name, yet belong to no Clan? Tell me."

Snowfall paused for a few heartbeats, gathering her thoughts. "Well..." she meowed, and then paused for another heartbeat before continuing, "I think it begins on my kit tour. You know, the trip three-moon-old kits take to see some of their territory."

So she began telling the story of her life to the RiverClan cats. She explained how she had run away from the others in search of water, and gotten lost, how she had wandered far from WindClan and seen the pond, and how Stragger had saved her, bringing her to the clearing beside the river. She told her silent audience about how she had grown up and begged Stragger for a warrior name, and how he had given it to her, then about how they had moved territories and trespassed on RiverClan territory without realizing it. She knew that Silentstar could tell what had happened after that without her telling her, so Snowfall stopped speaking and looked down at her paws.

Silentstar didn't speak for a long time, and then turned to Stragger. "Well? What's your story? Why did you keep Snowfall when she was a kit?"

Stragger narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And why should I tell you?" he spat angrily.

Snowfall stepped hurriedly between Stragger and Silentstar. "He's a little touchy about his past. I don't even know," she murmured quickly, her voice barely audible over Stragger's low growls.

Ripplepelt, who had bushed up her fur at Stragger's outburst, looked angrily at Snowfall. "I think you'd better take him into the clearing," she meowed a little louder than what was obviously normal.

Snowfall nudged Stragger out of the den, then whispered in his ear, "Wait here for me," then slipped back inside the leaders den.


	7. Chapter 6

Silentstar was sitting right where she had left her when Snowfall padded back inside the RiverClan leaders den, although Ripplepelt was pacing anxiously, her tail lashing.

"How much should we tell her?" she meowed in a quiet, hurried voice as Snowfall sat down in her place beside the entrance. Turning, she spotted Snowfall and blinked, then hurried back to her spot beside Silentstar.

Snowfall looked up at them, and meowed, "Well? What about Wavestar? He was leader when I was a kit."

"He was killed in a battle with ThunderClan," Silentstar meowed, "He was struck down by the deputy, Firestorm."

Snowfall nodded, and then looked up at Ripplepelt. "What's going on here?" she asked bluntly, "What's happened since I've left? How's WindClan?"

Silentstar bowed his head. "Hawktalon has died, to be replaced by Bluewing."

Snowfall stared. "Do you mean Bluepaw?" she asked, amazed.

Silentstar narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Snowfall curiously. "Have you seen any WindClan cat since you got lost as a kit?" she asked.

"No," Snowfall replied simply, "I've only been here, in RiverClan, in the last ten moons or so. This is the first Clan I've seen since Stragger and I came back."

Silentstar nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Snowfall's face. "I understand. Very well, you can stay the night and then go to WindClan in the morning."

Snowfall had to use a considerable amount of self-control to keep from bouncing up and down in excitement, happiness coursing through her. "Thank you!" she meowed ecstatically, and bounded out of the den to find Stragger.

She heard Ripplepelt meow as she left, "She sure seemed happy. I just hope she doesn't say anything about our secrets to WindClan."

Snowfall was too happy to care much about the deputy's words, however. She looked around the clearing for Stragger, but couldn't see him. She padded slowly over to the fresh-kill pile, looking around. She was very hungry, so she forced herself to take a fish. Turning, she ran headfirst into a lot of black fur.

"S-sorry!" she gasped, bouncing back onto her hindquarters and dropping the fish on the ground. It was Stragger, standing before her with a grim expression on. "What's up?" she asked, the excitement draining out of her, to be replaced by worry.

Stragger didn't say anything, but led her over to a deserted corner. Snowfall abandoned the fish and followed him.

"We need to go now." Stragger faced her with a determined gaze. "If you want to stay the night, fine, but we need to go. I don't belong here."

Snowfall gaped at him. "Stragger..." No words would come to her lips. After a while, she managed to meow, "Please come with me to WindClan. At least we can see my old Clanmates, and then we can go. Is that all right?"

Stragger looked at the wet, muddy ground. He seemed to be thinking the matter over thoroughly. "Look, I'd do anything for you, so I'll come to the border, and wait just outside it, and you come find me after you're done. We'll stay the night at the cave, then move on to another territory."

Snowfall looked up at Stragger. She was so close to her Clan now, it was like physical pain, an ache in her ribs. She realized now that she belonged there, but what could she do about Stragger? She was hoping he would join WindClan, but this seemed unlikely. If he wanted to move with her, it looked like she would have to leave her Clan again. But how could she?

Snowfall lowered her head. "Very well, can we go tonight and I can stay with them through the day?"

Stragger nodded, and Snowfall relaxed slightly. She didn't have to decide until later. There was enough time to ponder it tonight and tomorrow.

They padded back into the main part of camp, lying down on a patch of slightly soggy grass under a reed overhang. Snowfall groomed Stragger's fur until it shone in the setting sun, just like it had when they were still at the clearing beside the river.

As the moon rose and the stars began appearing, the RiverClan cats began to disappear into their dens. Ripplepelt padded across the clearing to the warriors den, followed by the other warriors who had been talking with Silentstar earlier. The small group of apprentices gradually drifted across the clearing to their own den, their chores with the elders obviously finished. The kits were herded into the nursery by their tired-looking mothers. Soon, the entire clearing was completely deserted.

Stragger stood up and nosed Snowfall. "Come on," he whispered, "Time to go." He led the way to the entrance, slipping out through the reeds. Snowfall followed, and she was glad to see that the nighttime guard was nowhere in sight.

Stragger padded along to the border, where Snowfall shook the last of the clinging mud off of her paws with a feeling of relief. Stragger turned to her, his yellow eyes gleaming in the light of the moon and stars.

"I'll meet you at the cave at dusk, all right?" Snowfall nodded, saddened by the thought of leaving WindClan, probably for good. Stragger dipped his head and padded off, his black fur disappearing into the shadows. Snowfall stood there, staring after him, until she realized she was wasting time she could be spending with her family.

Turning, she set off across the border and into her Clan's territory. What struck her first was how different WindClan's scent markers smelled. She was so used to Stragger's scent and the forest clearing, she had forgotten her own Clan's scent.

She crouched, sniffing a scent marker, and suddenly froze. She was sure she had smelled the scent of her mother, Nightwhisper! There was another scent she didn't know on top of it, but she was sure it was Nightwhisper's scent underneath it!

Excitement flooded her mind, and energy surged through her body. It was as if being here, in WindClan, had returned her abilities to run. She felt she could race onward forever, just like she had when she was a kit. _She was home!_

Racing up the slope, she reached the top of the hill, barely out of breath. From the crest of the hill, she could see a large expanse of hills, rising and falling in a wave-like pattern. Leaf-fall, having only just begun to spread through the world, hadn't grasped the moor yet, and the grass looked as green as ever.

Snowfall sighed in happiness. She finally knew where home was. It was this, the grassy, windy hills of WindClan. As the moon touched the horizon, she padded up a hill in the middle of WindClan territory, and got her paw stuck in a patch of mud.

She growled in exasperation, tugging it free. She circled around the hill, her paw picking up bits of grass and dirt as she went. Hissing slightly in exasperation, Snowfall scented the air.

Stragger had taught her the smells of water, whether it smelled slimy, stinky, muddy, tangy, or clear. Always, water smelled wet. It was almost like the way fog clings to a cat's nose or the heavy feeling of a dark raincloud.

She smelled a clear water source curving around the base of the hill she stood on, most likely a small stream. It smelled too small to be a river, even a clear one like she had learned to swim in. Padding down the hill, she spotted it, the clear, small stream winding through the grasses.

She raced awkwardly toward it, hampered by her muddy paw, now covered by grass as well as mud. As she splashed into the stream, the water stripping the mud off of her paw, the first rays of sunlight cut through the air, illuminating the water.

For a moment, Snowfall saw the stream again, as if she were a kit. She saw the water sparkle and splash around her legs, and suddenly was looking at the valley in front of camp through a kit's eyes - _her_ eyes, the way she had seen the stream. She had seen this stream before, had gone looking for it ten moons ago. This was the reason she had gotten lost, and yet she was strangely happy to see it.

Slowly, she lowered her head and drank from the stream. It tasted like she had thought, cool, clear, and as sweet as water could taste. Snowfall closed her eyes, triumph surging through her at her find. She had finally found the stream!

Opening her eyes again, she tried to remember what direction the stream had flowed to when it had left the side of the camp. She remembered it flowing off around a large, grassy hill dotted with grass. Staring up at the hill she had descended to get to the stream.

A sudden thought occurred to her, and she froze. _What if that was the hill in front of camp?_ Snowfall climbed out of the stream and padded up the hill.

The sun was halfway over the horizon by that time, meaning that the dawn patrol had most likely left. Snowfall wondered why she hadn't seen it, concluding that they must have gone in a different direction.

A slight wind ruffled Snowfall's fur as she reached the top of the hill. A beautiful valley spread beneath her, reaching up to the top of the highest hill there, exactly across the valley from where she stood. It was almost as if she was a kit again, seeing her territory for the first time. It was the most welcoming sight she had ever seen. It was the valley in front of the camp!

Something on the top of the hill caught her eye, and she looked up at it, hardly daring to breathe. On the hill stood the place she had wanted to reach the most, where she needed to go. The WindClan camp was settled on the hilltop, illuminated in the rising sun. She was home, at last.

Snowfall wasn't sure when she started moving, or what made her do it, but suddenly she found herself racing down the hill. Grass brushed her underside as the ground became nothing but a greenish blur, patches of heather smeared into pink blurs, merging with the green. She began the climb up to the camp, a fierce joy surging through her. _She was back!_

As she neared the entrance, she slowed down, panting slightly. She recognized the two cats on guard, happiness filling her as she spoke their names

"Gorsewater! Rainstripe! Remember me?" The two cats stared at her in utter amazement and undisguised suspicion.

"Who are you?" Rainstripe asked her, "Do I know you?"

"Yes, although you only saw me as a kit. My name is Snowfall. You knew me as Snowkit."

Gorsewater gaped at her. "Snowkit? Now you're Snowfall? But how did you survive? We thought you had died!"

Snowfall purred in amusement. "Well, I would have died had I not met Stragger. Can I see Diamondstar?"

The warriors looked even more confused, but Rainstripe led her into the camp. It was exactly as she remembered it, although it now showed slight changes.

As leaf-fall changed the territories, the leaves on the bushes had begun to fall slowly. During the time when the cats were exposed to the fierce winds, they took shelter in some abandoned tunnels under the camp. No cat liked this arrangement, although it was better than having chilly winds cutting through your fur all night. Even WindClan cats could have enough wind at times.

Even so, the camp was hardly changed. The warrior and apprentice dens were empty and cold-looking, but the nursery was just how she remembered it. It was a large, earthy den with a woven grass top. The dirt protected from the wind, while the grass provided shelter from the rain, but could be widened to expose the stars. At the moment, it was wide open, the mewls of kittens drifting across the camp. The Tallboulder stood, worn and slightly intimidating, in a corner of camp. Right beside it, a smaller, flattish rock leaned against it, creating the leaders den.

The cats were stirring, roused by the rising sun. As Diamondstar padded out of the den, he looked around the camp, spotted Snowfall, and a look of curiosity spread slowly over his face, to be replaced suddenly by astonishment. He bounded over, staring into her face, and Snowfall looked into her father's eyes for the first time in moons.

"I'm sorry, but you strongly remind me of my kit, who died many moons ago. We fear a fox ate her, for we never found a body."

Snowfall grinned, looking straight into Diamondstar's amber eyes. "Was she Snowkit? I used to be called Snowkit, but then my name changed to Snowfall. Hello, father."

Diamondstar stared, openmouthed, at her, and then moved forward, sniffing her. "You smell the same. You _are_ Snowkit, but grown up! Nightwhisper!" he yowled across the camp, "Come see! Snowkit's back!"

Nightwhisper, who had been emerging from a tunnel beside the fresh-kill pile, stopped dead, frozen in shock. She raced over as fast as her long legs could carry her, gazing into Snowfall's eyes. Her green eyes held the same sparkle as they had before she had left.

"Snowkit?" she whispered, looking straight ahead into Snowfall's eyes.

"I'm called Snowfall now," Snowfall replied, "I had a rogue do the ceremony. He took care of me and saved my life. We're going to go at dusk, but I came here to see you all."

Nightwhisper's eyes filled with sudden tears. "No. I cannot bear to be parted from you again, now that I know you're alive." Snowfall pressed her muzzle against Nightwhisper's. Nightwhisper blinked away the tears hurriedly and looked at Snowfall again.

"Well then, we'll make the most of the time we have together now." Snowfall nodded, and followed Nightwhisper as she led the way to the hole again. "Rainpaw! Flamepaw! Come out here! There's someone I want you to meet!" she called into the opening.

Snowfall watched, fascinated, as a head poked out of the entrance, followed quickly by a second. Nightwhisper purred at them, and then turned to Snowfall. I only had she-kits, for some reason. They all have blue eyes, and none take after me or Diamondstar's fur color."

Snowfall understood what her mother meant. She hadn't taken after either of her parents, but looked exactly like Nightwhisper's sister, Icepool. Rainpaw and Flamepaw were Nightwhisper's second litter of kits. Flamepaw took after Diamondstar, but Rainpaw was more like Nightwhisper, like Snowfall. Rainpaw was light gray, while Flamepaw was bright orange. As Nightwhisper had said, they both had blue eyes, exactly like Snowfall's.

"Who are you?" Rainpaw asked, her head tilted slightly to one side.

"I am Snowfall, your supposedly dead older sister," Snowfall meowed.

"Wow! Are you-" Flamepaw's excited squeak was interrupted as the dawn patrol, three warriors and an apprentice, rushed in.

Snowfall received a shock when she saw a dark brown pelt, and realized that Windkit, now a warrior, was in the patrol!

Airpelt stepped forward, his flanks heaving as he fought for breath. Diamondstar was there in an instant, in control of the situation.

"What is it?" he asked Airpelt, who was trying to speak.

"The f... fox... foxes!" he gasped, "They're here!"


	8. Chapter 7

Snowfall stared at Airpelt, while Nightwhisper froze beside her. Snowfall seemed to be the only cat who didn't know what was going on, even including the kits.

Diamondstar looked around at the Clan, who was all silent, still, and alert. "Well, you know what to do," he meowed to the cats of WindClan, who sprang into action at once.

Rainpaw and Flamepaw rushed past Snowfall, quickly followed by three other apprentices. They ran straight for a pile of gorse and heather Snowfall hadn't noticed before, and began dragging bits of it over to the warriors, who were dividing themselves into groups.

Four warriors started dragging fresh-kill into the nursery, while a small pile of gorse was collected in a pile beside the entrance, obviously intended for mostly sealing it.

Airpelt, who was probably out of breath and exhausted, raced over to the medicine den, where Crystalwing was already gathering her herbs to put in the nursery as well. Diamondstar looked around, and then bounded over to Bluewing to help organize patrols to gather materials.

"What's happening?" Snowfall asked Nightwhisper, who was still stiff with fear and shock.

"The foxes," Nightwhisper explained in a rush, "They have been living in a pack and roaming the territories, trying to pick off cats. They always target the camps, and have obviously memorized their locations. We are reinforcing the camp to make it harder for them to get inside."

Snowfall nodded, and then raced over to Diamondstar. "Can I help?" she asked him.

"Yes, you can go on a moss patrol with Breezetalon and Windwhisker," he replied. Snowfall turned around to see her two best friends from kithood standing there, staring at her.

"Snowkit?" Windwhisker asked, amazed.

"Yes, but my name is now Snowfall. Come on!" Snowfall beckoned to them, then raced out of the shrinking entrance, being reinforced by gorse, intent on nothing but protecting her Clan.

She didn't even notice when a black shadow began following them, but headed straight for a large expanse of moss beside a stream. Hurriedly, she began tearing out clumps of it, making a large pile next to her. Only when she, Windwhisker, and Breezetalon turned to see something there, did she notice that something knew they were there.

A large shadow crept across the grass as the creature drew nearer, shrinking back as it reached the last of the tall grass. It leaped out in a shower of dead grass, and as all three of them dropped their moss in astonishment, Snowfall realized who it was.

"No! Don't hurt him!" she yowled, racing forward to protect Stragger from the others. "He's the one who saved my life and cared for me. I would have died had it not been for him!"

Breezetalon froze, her claws unsheathed. "Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously, eying Stragger with distaste.

"Yes," Snowfall replied, staring straight at her friend.

"Well, all right then," Breezetalon meowed, sheathing her claws again. Snowfall turned to stare at Stragger, who was sniffing interestedly at the fallen moss.

"So you found your Clan. Planning to stay, then?"

Snowfall shook her head. "No, Stragger, we're protecting ourselves from the foxes."

Stragger looked up at her in interest as she gathered her moss again. "I heard a rumor. So it's true, then?" Snowfall nodded as they started back up the hill toward the camp.

When they arrived back, it was harder than normal to squeeze back through the tunnel of gorse, but they managed to make it, and they kept most of their moss, too.

As Stragger slid into the camp, the closest cats to the entrance gasped and drew back, away from him.

Diamondstar hurried over, a look of worry spreading over his face. "Who is this? Snowfall, is this the cat called Stragger that you mentioned earlier?"

Snowfall nodded, and then meowed in a muffled voice, "He saved my life. I brought him back because of the foxes."

Diamondstar nodded, and then stepped back. "He can stay, as long as he helps with the reinforcements."

Snowfall nodded and beckoned to the others to follow her to the elders den, which was inside a large gorse bush. This den and the nursery would be the most protected dens there.

Stragger said nothing about the work, but helped Snowfall squeeze the water out of the lumps of moss, and then pile it all in a corner. They would be storing most of the herbs there, too, since the kits might get into them if they were all in the nursery. The ones placed in the elders den were going to be the ones with more lasting effects, while herbs like poppy seeds could be put in the nursery, as all those did were to make cats fall asleep easier.

Snowfall nodded to the two elders, who were looking more aged since she was a kit, and backed out of the den. She looked around the camp, and saw that the work was almost done. Most cats were pacing nervously or running around, trying to find something else to do. The pile of rabbits had disappeared into the nursery, while the medicine den looked completely empty. The nursery was almost completely blocked, with a tiny hole where the entrance should have been, just wide enough to let a cat slip in and out. The entrance was a lot smaller than was normal, with barely enough room to get in and out. A couple of apprentices were working hard on the elders den, weaving in extra gorse branches and heather.

Snowfall picked up a long, thin, heather stem and began weaving it in around the entrance. She needed to help her Clan, after living apart from it for so long.

Stragger padded off somewhere, and Snowfall turned to look for him, but couldn't see a thing. He appeared to have left the camp, but she couldn't see how he could. Remembering when he had seemed to disappear in the RiverClan camp, she shrugged to herself, turned, and wove a gorse tendril around the heather stem.

Nightwhisper joined her on one side, and Rainpaw and Flamepaw slipped through the entrance to work on the inside of it. The sun had only moved a pawstep when they were done. Snowfall stepped back as her sisters wriggled through, Flamepaw having a bit of a harder time than Rainpaw due to the broader shoulders she had inherited from Diamondstar.

Once both apprentices had made it through, the four set off at a relaxed trot. Rainpaw and Flamepaw raced over to sit next to some of their friends, and Nightwhisper padded over to share tongues with Diamondstar next to the Tallboulder. Snowfall was left standing in the middle of the clearing, with nowhere to go.

She had just decided to go talk to Breezetalon, when a nudge on her shoulder made her jump and spin around. Stragger stood there, holding a dead rabbit in his jaws. Dropping it on the ground, he looked up at her with a glint in his yellow eyes.

"I thought you might be hungry," he meowed, purring slightly and half smiling. Snowfall looked down at the rabbit and felt a stab of hunger. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. The fish she had dropped in the RiverClan camp seemed a long ways away, and she hadn't even eaten it. She hadn't had a morsel of food since the fat pigeon she had eaten a day ago, before she and Stragger had been captured by RiverClan.

Hungrily, she dug in, savoring the rich, meaty flavor, tough from running on the windy moor. This was how rabbits were meant to taste, not the earthy, fatty rabbits found in the forest. She took another ravenous bite of the succulent meat, and then looked up at Stragger.

"You have some," she invited him, her voice slightly muffled by food. Stragger sank his teeth into the rabbit's scruff, but didn't take a bite. Instead, he dragged it over to the side of the clearing. There, they both began taking large bites of it.

Soon enough, it was only a pile of bones. Snowfall picked them up, padded out to the dirtplace, and dug a hole to bury them in. As she was scraping earth over the bones, she heard a low, rumbling growl. It echoed through the hills, whistling through Snowfall's ear fur and bouncing around the dirtplace. Shaking her head, she stared around.

A small gap in the tightly woven, thorny branches was visible, and Snowfall padded cautiously toward it. She peered out, and saw a large, fierce, orange eye staring back at her, rimmed with red fur. She shrieked a warning and raced back into the main clearing.

Diamondstar looked up at once, his amber eyes alert and wary. "What is it?" he asked her, bounding over immediately, "What's wrong?"

Snowfall, panting with fright, managed to blurt a few words, "Fox! Over there! It's in the dirtplace!" She sank into a crouch, shaking all over. Diamondstar left her side, and was replaced by Stragger.

"Over here. Come on, follow me," he meowed softly, and led her over to the side of the clearing. Rainpaw and Flamepaw were waiting there for her, and without a word, pressed comfortingly against her. "What happened?" Stragger asked, crouching down to speak to her.

"I was burying the rabbit bones," Snowfall muttered, "And the fox growled. I saw a small opening, and looked through it and saw the fox."

Rainpaw pressed more firmly against Snowfall, murmuring in her ear, "It's all right. It's been like that for a while. The foxes can overpower a whole Clan! They've been roaming around, picking off kits and elders, and stealing our fresh-kill. It's been a nightmare."

Snowfall blinked, her sister's words ringing in her ears. _They can overpower a whole Clan._ An idea occurred to her, making her sit bolt upright. "Rainpaw, how many foxes are there?" she asked.

Rainpaw was obviously confused at Snowfall's sudden action, but answered her question. "There's about twice as many as any Clan. It would take one or two warriors to fight each one."

Snowfall began pacing, her long, fluffy tail sweeping back and forth, her brow furrowed in thought. "I need to talk to Diamondstar," she meowed at last.

Flamepaw looked up at her, eyes wide. "What is it?" she asked.

"I have a plan," Snowfall meowed, "Where is he?"

"Over there, with Bluewing," Rainpaw meowed, nodding to the dirtplace tunnel.

Snowfall spun around and, leaving her sisters with Stragger, padded swiftly over to her leader. "Diamondstar, can I ask you something?" she asked.

Diamondstar turned, surprised. "Of course you can, Snowfall. What is it?"

Snowfall hesitated, and then plunged onward. "Can I go to the other Clans? We could unite and drive the foxes out." Diamondstar and Bluewing were staring at her, their eyes wide in disbelief.

Bluewing narrowed her eyes in suspicion after closing her mouth, which had been hanging wide open. "Why do you think that?" she asked, but Diamondstar was paying more attention to Snowfall.

"You know, that might actually work," he meowed, looking around the camp. "All right, Nightwhisper can go to ShadowClan and Windwhisker can go to RiverClan. You can go to ThunderClan, Snowfall." Snowfall smiled widely and raced off to tell Windwhisker and Nightwhisper.

As they left the camp, growls sounded, loud and clear, on the other side of camp. Snowfall looked around the side of camp, and saw, to her horror, a huge mass of red and white, crowding the hillside and growling softly. The leader was pawing at the hole in the dirtplace. Shutting her eyes, Snowfall turned and raced off after her mother and friend.

After a short while, Nightwhisper left to travel a different route to ShadowClan, while Windwhisker traveled in the opposite direction. Snowfall proceeded onward, in a straight line across the hills to ThunderClan.

As she passed Fourtrees, she stopped and looked up at the Great Rock. She had never been here. Now, however, was not the time to get off-tracked. She needed to stay alert and intent on her goal if the Clans were to survive.

ThunderClan smelled horrible, its stench clogging the air. Snowfall gagged, shut her mouth, and kept walking. She reached the camp soon after, the bramble walls reaching high into the air. Taking a deep breath, she padded into the heart of ThunderClan, WindClan's arch enemy.

The camp was well guarded, with a strong, aggressive warrior guarding the camp.

"My name is Snowfall. I'm a WindClan warrior, and I need to speak with your leader," Snowfall meowed confidently.

The tom growled menacingly. "Leafstar is busy. You'll speak with Firestorm instead, because he's the deputy and he's free to talk to runaway warriors from other Clans."

Snowfall's fur bushed up in anger at the insult, but forced it to smooth back to normal. "Fine," she meowed, and strode into the camp with her head held high.

The camp was a mess, or at least, that was her first impression. As she stared around for Firestorm, she realized that the jumble of things littering the ground were brambles, ferns, sticks, thorns, and the odd bit of forgotten fresh-kill. Holes dotted the ground, with different prey items inside it. Snowfall could see a mouse hole and a squirrel hole from where she stood.

Across the camp was a fiery tom, his coat a mix of red and orange, and his amber eyes gleaming. He might have been handsome had his eyes not glittered with spite.

"Who are you?" he yowled across the clearing, sneering slightly as he padded over to the entrance.

"My name is Snowfall. I come from WindClan with a request," Snowfall meowed, gazing into his arrogant face, "I presume you are Firestorm?" The tom nodded, and Snowfall continued, "The foxes are on WindClan territory again. I have a plan to get rid of them. All the Clans should join together to fight the foxes."

The cats around her went quiet, staring at her and Firestorm. Snowfall lifted her chin and stared defiantly into Firestorm's amber eyes, the same color and yet so different from her father's.

Firestorm thought for a heartbeat, then replied, "No. We will not join you in this feeble attempt at battle."

Snowfall stared in disbelief. "Why?" she asked.

"I say no because I am sure that some cats, if not most cats, will die. This is hopeless, a wishful dream. You can do this if you want, but we will not join you. Farewell, Snowfall."

He grinned maliciously at her, then turned and padded off to the spot at the other end of the clearing. Snowfall stared after him, then summoned her anger at him, her spite at his unwillingness to help, and channeled it all into one word.

"Fine!" she spat after him, then turned, her nose in the air, and stalked through the entrance.

"Don't come back," the guard growled after her.

"I don't plan on it," she hissed over her shoulder at him. She turned and stalked away through the grasses, past the trees and bushes, and back through Fourtrees. As she padded along, Nightwhisper and Windwhisker caught up with her.

"ShadowClan accepted!" Nightwhisper meowed excitedly.

"So did RiverClan!" Windwhisker yowled joyously, "Snowfall, your plan might actually work!"

Snowfall kept padding along, her head bowed against the wind. "ThunderClan didn't accept," she meowed dully.

"What?" Nightwhisper stared at her in disbelief.

Snowfall nodded gloomily, still staring at her paws. "They didn't want to help. They were reinforcing their camp."

Windwhisker looked outraged. "We're all going to risk our necks and they're sitting there, not helping?"

Snowfall nodded again, feeling even more downcast. "Leafstar wasn't available, so Firestorm talked to me instead."

Nightwhisper hissed angrily, but couldn't go further than that, because they had reached the outer wall of camp. Quietly, they sneaked inside, wary of disturbing the foxes. Soon enough, they reached the entrance, looked around one last time, then slipped through the gorse.


	9. Chapter 8

Muttering filled the WindClan camp - angry muttering. Every cat was upset about ThunderClan's unwillingness to help with the battle with the foxes.

Snowfall had told Diamondstar roughly what had happened, and he had announced it to the Clan. Then, he had called the two elders, Nightwhisper, Crystalwing, and Bluewing into his den.

The Clan was outraged that ThunderClan wasn't helping, silencing the cheers that had followed the announcement of RiverClan and ShadowClan's help.

Snowfall sat next to the nursery, thinking longingly of the first three moons of her life. Stragger lay next to her, slowly grooming her fur.

He had grown more and more fond of her in the past few moons, but the only thing she had gotten out of him was that she reminded him of someone. She was dying of curiosity about his past, but he refused to tell her. Every time she had asked, he had turned his head and drew away from her, even grown angry with her once. She hadn't asked him for a while, but planned to ask him again after the battle. She hoped he would be willing to tell her after he had fought side by side with her, grown more open with her.

As Snowfall's gaze drifted towards the leader's den, Diamondstar poked his head out the entrance. Snowfall grew alert at once, staring straight at him. His amber eyes, usually sparkling with warmth and amusement, were worried and a little tired.

Remembering Firestorm's eyes, the way they had sparked with cruelty, and shivered slightly.

"Is there anything wrong?" Stragger murmured, looking up at her with a curious, worried expression.

"No, it's nothing," Snowfall replied, still staring at her father. Stragger dropped his gaze, and glanced over at Diamondstar, too.

At that exact moment, Nightwhisper appeared by his side and slipped past him. Diamondstar followed his mate, leaping lightly onto the Tallboulder. Snowfall nudged Stragger, her nose pressing into his glossy fur.

"Come on, Diamondstar's going to make his announcement," she murmured.

They stood and padded over to sit near Nightwhisper. Stragger licked her ear with something more than worry in his eyes. It looked a little like he was sad, but Snowfall didn't have time to ask him about it. At that moment, Diamondstar stood up on the Tallboulder, looking around at all the cats.

"We will still fight, even without ThunderClan. RiverClan and WindClan will send battle patrols over at dawn tomorrow. We will share our fresh-kill and rest, then at sunhigh, we attack the foxes.

Snowfall nodded at her leader, then turned to Stragger. "Will you stay with me for the battle?"

Stragger nodded, and meowed, "I will always stay with you. I can't let it happen again."

She looked at him, a question on the tip of her tongue, but Stragger turned away immediately and meowed, "Forget that. Forget I said anything. I'm staying to fight with you, anyway." He began talking to himself, "It's over. She's gone, and you can't get her back. Stop it!"

Snowfall was confused, but passed it over. Stragger had been saying random things like that for the past few days. The only thing that was disturbing her was that Stragger was never random. Snowfall looked up at Diamondstar, and was surprised to find him looking straight at her.

"Snowfall," he meowed, padding over, "I need you to see me in my den." Snowfall glanced at Stragger, then nodded and padded over to Diamondstar.

"Come," he meowed, padding inside the rock crevice.

Snowfall followed him inside, and looked around. Tall grass on the outside blocked the inside from the outer world, so that it was cool and shady inside. A small pile of moss lay against one side, and a small patch of heather grew against the gorse barrier that made up the back wall of the den. The ground was soft and grassy, with bits of moss and a pawful of what seemed to be sand scattered around. Like the rest of the camp, the gorse inside the leaders den was thickened and fortified, bulging inward slightly. A half-eaten rabbit lay forgotten next to the mossy nest.

Diamondstar sat down in the middle of the den, and looked straight at her. "Well?" he asked, "What happened at the ThunderClan camp? What were they doing? We will have to make them pay for their lack of help. I don't know what Leafstar was thinking."

Snowfall looked up at her father and meowed, "It wasn't Leafstar who made the choice. It was Firestorm."

Diamondstar stared at her for a second, and then nodded, "The deputy. Yes, obviously he'd make the decisions if the leader was busy. Did he say what she was doing?" Snowfall shook her head, and he sighed. "Oh well, we'll make do. What were they doing?"

"They were reinforcing the camp, digging prey-holes, collecting extra moss and herbs, and other preparations like that. I think they figure if they act strong and don't come out, the foxes will leave them alone."

Diamondstar shook his head wearily. "Yes, leave it to ThunderClan to act on the impossible. What happened there? Tell me in exact detail."

Snowfall sat down on the soft ground and thought for a moment before beginning to explain what had happened. "I went to the camp, where a large, muscular tom let me in, although he obviously had misgivings about it. The camp was hard at work, and Firestorm was standing in the middle, overseeing it all. Leafstar wasn't there at all. Firestorm padded over and told me she was busy. I told him what I was there for, and he told me they wouldn't come to help. After that, I came back here. Firestorm wasn't going to give in."

Diamondstar nodded. "I see. And Leafstar didn't make an appearance at any time?" Snowfall shook her head, and Diamondstar sighed. "Oh well, we'll just have to make do with only three Clans."

Snowfall looked up at her father and meowed, "Should I go now?" Diamondstar nodded, and she turned, feeling the grass brush past her pelt as she walked out into the clearing.

The sun was sinking, filling the sky with flares of pink and gold. Clouds began to look pale pink and purple as the dying rays of sunlight caught them. Stragger appeared at her side almost immediately, causing Snowfall to suspect him of lying right outside the den.

"We have our own den over here," he meowed, leading the way to a small, woven den of grass, gorse, and heather. Snowfall could smell Rainpaw and Flamepaw's scent lingering around the flowers, pink heather and yellow gorse, and purred. The two apprentices had to have been hard at work all the time she was talking to Diamondstar.

Stragger slipped inside the entrance, and Snowfall followed, gasping at the sight within. It was completely covered with soft moss, from a covering on the grassy ground, climbing up the walls, to the top, hanging in clumps or attached to the gorse, tucked around the tendrils. The back wall was covered so well, only a few spots of gorse showed. Flowers had been scattered around the inside, giving off a pleasant smell. Snowfall turned to Stragger.

"Did Rainpaw and Flamepaw do all this?" she asked.

"They did most of it. I put in a special function just for you," Stragger meowed, smiling at her.

Snowfall purred and looked around. "What is it?" she meowed.

Stragger padded over to a small branch visible on one wall. With a heave, he pushed against it, and the top of the den swung off. Stragger leaped up onto it, and disappeared from sight for a few heartbeats. Snowfall guessed he was securing it to the ground.

Dying of curiosity, she put her front paws on the top and peered over the edge. Stragger turned and purred at her, flicking his tail for her to hop up. She jumped up, landing lightly amongst the moss.

"I'll sleep below. I'm more used to sleeping in a den than you are. You can sleep up here."

Snowfall took a step forward and rubbed her muzzle against his. "Thank you," she purred.

Stragger purred as well, closing his eyes and tilting his head slightly, rubbing his cheek against hers. "You're welcome," he whispered in her ear.

Snowfall watched as he leaped back into the main den and curled up to sleep. She decided to go to sleep as well, so she rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky. The stars were shining brightly in the inky blackness. Snowfall imagined Stragger's black fur, the way it slid smoothly over his tough muscles.

She purred softly to herself, then rolled over and curled into a ball, closing her eyes. Sleep washed over her, like deep, dark waves, and she sank into its depths without another thought in her mind.


	10. Chapter 9

The dawn light crept under the tightly woven gorse, seeping through the camp like wind. The cats of WindClan were stirring, emerging from their dens with the light.

They were hurriedly grooming themselves, sending out quick patrols to gather more fresh-kill. A few cats took up positions in the camp, balanced on the gorse and Tallrock, waiting. The mood drifting through the dens was tense, expectant, and wary.

Every cat, although their pelts were groomed to sleek perfection and stayed very still, switched their eyes from one place to another, waiting. Yellow, green, blue, brown, and amber eyes flashed, taking in the silent camp and their still Clanmates.

Snowfall sat on the Tallboulder, waiting for the other Clans. Suddenly, her alert, watchful, sky-blue eyes caught a flicker of dark fur against the moor.

A large patrol of cats was marching through the grasses toward them. As she sniffed the air, Snowfall detected the unmistakable stench of fish on the air. RiverClan had sent their reinforcements.

Yowling a warning to the Clan, she turned and leaped down the side of the boulder. Diamondstar was at her side at once, his amber eyes full of worry and trepidation.

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"RiverClan is here," Snowfall meowed, glancing toward the entrance, barely visible in the wall of impenetrable gorse.

Diamondstar nodded, his whole body visibly relaxing. "I thought... well, it doesn't matter now. You and Bluewing can take three warriors and an apprentice to meet them."

Snowfall nodded, and then beckoned to Bluewing, Emberclaw, Windwhisker, Rainstripe, and Freepaw, who were lying next to the warriors den. The six cats slipped out the entrance and raced towards the battle patrol.

Snowfall skidded to a stop in front of Silentstar, dipping her head. "We have come to lead you to the camp," she meowed respectfully. Silentstar nodded and followed the WindClan cats as they led the way back up the slope.

The foxes were nowhere in sight, which was a good sign. RiverClan cats were strong and muscular, and had a hard time fitting their broad shoulders through the camp entrance. Snowfall glanced around the camp border before she entered the camp, seeing no sign of ShadowClan.

In her absence, Diamondstar had organized the warriors and apprentices into a welcoming assembly.

"Hello, Silentstar. I am pleased to see that you came," he meowed formally.

Silentstar dipped his head graciously to Diamondstar and replied, "It is an honor to fight beside you in this momentous battle."

Snowfall looked around as a warning yowl, coming from Skyflash, sounded around the camp. "ShadowClan is approaching!" she called to Diamondstar.

"Very well, Snowfall, Bluewing, Nightwhisper, Leaftail, Heatherwing, and Flarepaw can go welcome ShadowClan."

Snowfall nodded and followed her deputy out and into the winds of the moor again. ShadowClan was moving swiftly towards them from the direction of Fourtrees. A black tom with brown eyes glanced straight at Snowfall, and then padded up the slope to the entrance.

Bluewing and Nightwhisper raced forward to greet him, but something told Snowfall that danger was near. The wind ruffled her fur, cold and unwelcome. The sun slipped behind a cloud, plunging WindClan territory into semi-darkness.

Snowfall began racing forward as if in slow motion. The grasses tugged and pulled at her paws, slowing her down. As she cannoned into Nightwhisper, she felt something brush her back fur as it soared over her. She didn't see it, but had no trouble telling what it was. The foxes were closing in.

"Run!" she yowled to the ShadowClan cats, then turned and raced up the slope to the entrance. It was free of foxes for the moment, and she paused, gasping for breath, as Bluewing and Leaftail led the way through the hole and into the camp. The ShadowClan patrol flashed past her, followed by Heatherwing and Nightwhisper. Snowfall glanced back down the hill and froze. Flarepaw was struggling up the slope, a fox bearing down on her from behind.

Unfreezing her limbs, Snowfall shrieked a battle cry and leaped down the hill. The fox bared its teeth at her, but she paid no heed. Slashing her claws across the fox's eyes, she grabbed Flarepaw's scruff and helped her up the hill. Growling, the fox shook the blood out of its eyes and lunged at Snowfall.

Pushing Flarepaw through the gap in the gorse wall, Snowfall dodged away from the camp, missing the fox by inches. It growled, long and low, showing long, sharp teeth. As it stepped between her and the camp, Snowfall knew there was only one way she would get inside the WindClan camp. She backed away, hissing at the fox.

Behind her, she heard the soft sounds of grass rustling, and her heart sank. She was trapped, and if her plan didn't work, she would be ripped to shreds.

Taking one more step backwards, she tensed her muscles and gazed straight into the fox's fierce, orange eyes. Then, she began to run. She didn't run away from the fox, but towards it, the ground a blur beneath her paws. Closer and closer she came, until the fox was looming threateningly over her. Steeling herself, she crouched low, and jumped.

Hot breath touched her hind paws as she leaped, and sharp teeth grazed her long, fluffy tail. The fox stared at her in amazement as she flew over its back, landing behind it. Without a pause in her step, she propelled herself toward the entrance and pushed through the gorse.

As she collapsed on the grassy ground, a red muzzle poked through the entrance and attempted to snap at her tail. Suddenly, Stragger was there, rearing over her, his teeth bared and his claws flashing. He swiped at the muzzle with his sharp claws. A spurt of crimson blood and a yelp told Snowfall his claws had found their mark. Stragger leaned over her as she regained enough of her breath to sit up.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine," she gasped, looking around the camp. "Where's Flarepaw?" she asked.

"She's safe," Stragger meowed comfortingly.

Snowfall breathed a sigh of relief and dragged herself over to the side of camp. Stragger brought her a rabbit, and they shared it, eating as much as they needed. When they had both sat up, licking the last traces of meat from their lips, there was still plenty of rabbit left. A pair of ShadowClan apprentices padded shyly over to them, eying the rabbit.

"Can we finish that?" one asked, his black and brown pelt groomed to perfection. His companion nodded eagerly, her green eyes shining out from underneath her fluffy, light brown pelt.

"Sure," Snowfall meowed, pushing the rabbit towards them. The tom dug in instantly, but the she-cat looked up at Snowfall interestedly before eating.

"I'm Sandpaw," she meowed happily, "This is my brother, Swamppaw. We're from ShadowClan, and we think this is going to be the best battle ever!"

Snowfall purred with amusement. "Well, it looks like Swamppaw is going to eat all of the rabbit if you don't hurry," she meowed. Sandpaw nodded and bent her head to tear off the rabbit's front leg. Stragger looked up at Snowfall, and then glanced skyward.

"It's almost sunhigh," he meowed, "The battle will start soon."

Snowfall looked up as well. The sky was light blue, with fluffy, white clouds drifting lazily across it. The sun, shining brightly from behind a cloud, was almost directly overhead, as Stragger had pointed out.

Snowfall looked around as Diamondstar leaped onto the Tallboulder, Bluewing and Nightwhisper a pace behind him. "It is time," he meowed, gazing out at the cats crowding the clearing. At once, all the murmuring quieted. Every eye, WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan alike, was fixed straight on Diamondstar.

"Silentstar and Darkstar, come forward," he meowed. The two leaders, one RiverClan and one ShadowClan, padded up to the Tallboulder. Nightwhisper and Bluewing leaped lightly down, giving Silentstar and Darkstar room to stand beside Diamondstar, who began speaking again.

"Silentstar will lead the RiverClan cats to the river first, and try to make sure that no stray fox spots you. Darkstar will command the ShadowClan cats as they distract the foxes by the dirtplace. I will lead the WindClan patrol around the side once the RiverClan patrol has had a good head start. We will lead the foxes to the river, where the RiverClan patrol will ambush them. ShadowClan will follow and join the fight once they arrive. One or two warriors from every Clan will protect the camp."

Snowfall nodded, and then turned to Stragger. "Will you be coming with the WindClan patrol?"

Stragger shook his head. "I'll have to go with ShadowClan. You know I can't run as fast as WindClan cats."

Snowfall nodded, and then pressed her nose against his muzzle. "Be careful," she whispered.

"Only if you're careful, as well," Stragger purred. Snowfall nodded, then pulled away and joined the WindClan cats, who were gathering in the center of the clearing. Stragger padded across the clearing towards the ShadowClan cats by the dirtplace.

Diamondstar nodded to Silentstar, who began creeping out the entrance. Seeing that the plan was being put into action, Darkstar leaped onto a large rock at the edge of camp and hissed. The other cats leaped up beside him, jumped on the reinforced gorse bushes, and growled through small holes in the barrier.

All the foxes began growling and barking at ShadowClan and Snowfall's heart soared. _It was working!_

The RiverClan cats disappeared around the hill across the valley from the camp, and Snowfall gazed intently at Diamondstar, waiting for his signal. After a while, her father lifted his tail, and then kinked it over his back. Silently, the cats crept out the entrance, and then began the descent into the valley.

When they were about halfway down, Diamondstar raised his head and yowled. His call bounced off the hills, ringing in the air, and the foxes heard it. Slowly, the lead fox turned, his orange eyes bulged, and he barked an order to his pack. At once, the WindClan cats raced down the hill, their tails streaming behind them and their fur flattened by the wind.

Snowfall turned, her eyes sparkling with laughter, as one fox lost her footing and crashed into another fox. They both rolled down the hill, unbalancing more foxes, until only a small group remained on their feet. Snowfall turned, saw the rest of the patrol ahead, and sped up.

Her paw fell on a small gorse seedling, and its small branches suddenly tightened, ensnaring her foot. She fell hard on her shoulder, her leg wrenched out of its socket. She squealed in agony and fought to free herself as the foxes got closer.

As the gorse finally loosened enough to pull herself free, the lead fox caught up with her. He planted a paw on her chest, pinning her in place. Flecks of drool sprayed over Snowfall's fur as she lay there, terrified. She knew it was all over. She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Suddenly, the weight disappeared. A streak of black fur flew over her, and she gasped. A tom was slashing the fox's muzzle and ears, blood spurting into the air. Snowfall stretched her neck up and saw a black tom with a white forehead standing over her, his paws stained with blood. The fox lay, twitching, huddled in a bloody heap on the ground.

Stragger had come to her rescue again, just like he had at the river during her first swimming lesson. He sat down beside her on the grass, and watched as the other foxes followed the WindClan cats. As they began to get their breath back, Stragger turned to Snowfall's dislocated leg.

"I could fix that for you if you want," he meowed, his breath still coming in large gulps. Snowfall nodded, panting slightly, and shifted her weight so that Stragger could have a clear aim at her injured leg.

Placing his paws on her shoulder, Stragger pushed and her leg clicked back into place. Snowfall yowled in agony at the sudden surge of pain, but after a few heartbeats, it died down. Snowfall tried to move it, and it worked with only a small problem - it needed to stiffen a little before she could fight. Stragger glanced down at her leg, and then looked at her straight in the eye.

"I think it's time to tell you my past," he meowed solemnly.


	11. Chapter 10

I was born in an earthy hole beneath a tree. I remember the roots curving around the hole, as if they were keeping it safe. My father left before I was born, and my mother hated me.

I was the only tom in a litter of five kits. I had four sisters, one of which died before she opened her eyes. My mother blamed me for stealing all the life from my dead littermate. I was strong, handsome, and bright, and any other she-cat would be proud to have me as a son. My mother wanted all her kits to be she-kits, and she had me.

When I was three moons old, she taught me the basics of hunting and fighting, how to build shelters, and all the navigation she knew. On the day I became four moons old, she kicked me out of the den, saying she never wanted to see me again.

I followed the North Star, having no wish to stay and disobey her orders. I had never been treated right there, so I was always the least comfortable and warm, and the last to get something to eat. I travelled on through a forest, then across a river and off across a grassy field. After a few days of walking, I came across a large, rocky gorge.

I slid down the slope, and found a group of cats. They were nice to me, and wanted to train me as an apprentice. They were called SkyClan, and they told me all about four other Clans.

I was interested in the other Clans, so they told me all they knew. I learned that the four Clans were WindClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan. I followed the river, as they told me, and found a patrol of cats. They took me to a camp, and I found out that these cats were ThunderClan. I became a warrior, although I kept my rogue name.

After a few moons of being a warrior, I went out hunting at moonhigh by the RiverClan border. There, I saw a beautiful white she-cat with sparkling sky-blue eyes. She looked up at me, and I knew at once that this was the cat I was meant to be with. I could tell that she felt the same about me, from the way her eyes grew wide and an emotion seemed to rise in her. Her name was Icepool.

After that, we began meeting every night. Soon, she told me she was having kits, so we ran away together.

We had three kits. One was a curious white she-kit with blue eyes, just like Icepool, named Frostkit. One was a black and white tom with yellow eyes, named Shadowkit. The last was completely black with blue eyes, named Skykit.

We lived there for many happy moons, until our kits grew up and went away to forge lives for themselves. Icepool became lonely and sad after that. She wanted to go back to RiverClan. I went with her when she left our home.

We crossed back through the forest and took a shortcut through ThunderClan territory. That was our mistake. As we were about to cross into RiverClan territory, there was a rustle behind me.

Suddenly, a red and orange cat leaped onto Icepool and sank his teeth into her throat. I lunged forward, pulling him off her, and kicked him away. I heard him scrambling off through the foliage, but I didn't care. Icepool was trying to speak to me.

She told me to bring her body back to RiverClan and to give her love to her parents and littermates. She asked me to find our kits and tell them what had happened, as well. I told her I would, and she closed her eyes and slipped away.

I did as she asked, and brought her body to RiverClan, telling them what had happened. Then, with a heavy heart, I set out beyond WindClan territory to find our lost kits.

I found out that Shadowkit had been killed by a fox, and spent a night at his grave. Skykit had settled down in a mountain cave with a mate, and had four kits. I told her about Icepool, and she grieved for her with me, but needed to get back to her newborn kits. Frostkit had found a den far up north, where it snowed many times a year. She was sad as well, but wasn't as close to Icepool, so she got over it quickly enough.

I decided to try and settle, but it never worked out. I kept trying to stay in one place, but found myself moving after a moon or so. I was lonely, wishing I had Icepool by my side.

Soon, as I passed by the Clans, I found out about a WindClan cat called Nightwhisper, who was Icepool's sister, half RiverClan and half WindClan. I knew she would be almost just like Icepool, so I spied on her, but lost hope as soon as I found out she was having kits. She would already have had a mate.

I decided to travel to the grassy fields next to the mountains. I stayed there for a while, but after about four moons, I knew I needed to go to the forest. I had to move from the fields.

The next few days were spent preparing for the journey. When I was finally ready, I caught a mouse for the trip, and set off. By sunset, I reached the forest.

I found a clearing, carved a hollow in a tree, and settled in for the night. The next morning, I carved out the rest of the tree, found the large branches there, and wove some sticks together to make a platform. All that day, I worked on the sleeping platform, finally finishing as the sun dropped beneath the horizon. I ate a vole and settled in for the night.

The next morning, I covered the platform with moss and began marking my territory. I decided to try to stay there for at least four moons, just like in the fields. That evening, I patrolled the border closest to the Clans, and saw a small, white bundle.

At first, I thought wildly of Icepool, that she was back, but realized this cat was way too small. She still had her fluffy kit fur. As I watched, she crawled to the small, muddy pond and drank. The wind shifted, and I smelled the WindClan on her.

I attacked, thinking of an invasion, but didn't kill her because she reminded me of a younger Icepool. As I crouched there, pinning her down, I smelled Nightwhisper on her. This could be one of her kits. She had longer legs and a fluffy tail, but other than that, she looked exactly like Icepool.

I decided to care for her as if she was my own, like she was Frostkit, Shadowkit, or Skykit. Her name was Snowkit, and I decided that I needed to make sure she grew up to be her own cat, an independent and yet caring role model, just like Icepool.

I gave her a warrior name and followed her to the Clans. We stayed in WindClan and prepared to battle the foxes. I know I am old, and am willing to die to save my mate's kin.

She has grown into all I wanted, and even exceeded my expectations. Her name is Snowfall. She is all of my life, and so she must survive. If I die, so be it. This is the story of my life.


	12. Chapter 11

Snowfall listened as Stragger finished his story, her mouth slightly open. Stragger had fallen in love with her mother's RiverClan sister, the one she looked like!

She pressed her muzzle against Stragger's cheek. "I'm sorry, I never knew," she whispered.

Stragger pulled away, his face turned away from hers. "Don't tell anyone," he muttered, and Snowfall nodded.

"I won't, don't worry."

A movement behind Stragger made Snowfall turn, and she saw that the fox was getting to his feet. Before she could stop him, he had lunged, grabbing Stragger around the neck. Stragger gasped, shock filling his face, as he was shaken back and forth by the fox.

Snowfall's anguished cry of, "No!" was still in the air when she leaped. Pulling the fox's jaws apart, she freed Stragger, and then dug her claws into the ground as the fox shook the blood from his eyes. Propelling herself forward, Snowfall ducked under his snapping jaws and sank her teeth into his neck, ripping with her claws.

Blood gushed, hot and red, over her muzzle, making her gag, but she held on, tearing and slashing until the fox collapsed on his side, the light dying from his eyes. He was dead, and Snowfall had avenged her closest friend's death.

"Snowfall," a voice said weakly behind her.

Turning, Snowfall saw Stragger lying there, blood dripping from his neck wounds. "Stragger!" she cried, rushing forward.

Stragger looked up at her, his yellow eyes searching her face. "You look like Icepool," he murmured, "Stay beside me while I die."

Snowfall shook her head wildly, meowing, "No, Stragger, you can't die! You can't leave me here!"

Stragger forced a purr that rattled in his throat. "I'll always be with you as a spirit. You mean so much to me. Thank you for killing that fox. You must make sure the others are safe, too. You need to wait until I die, and then help them. You can grieve later."

Snowfall nodded, sadness engulfing her. She stayed there, crouched beside Stragger as his life bled out onto the grass. She would miss his company and companionship more than anything else in the world. His eyes dimmed, and started to close. Snowfall began licking his ears, and then worked down to his neck. Stragger went limp, the blood flowed slower, and Snowfall knew he was dead.

She buried her nose in his fur, feeling the warmth fading from his body. She breathed in, slow and deep, savoring the last traces of his scent.

"Goodbye, Stragger," she whispered, "I'll always remember you." She licked his fur one last time, then turned and raced off through the grass, wind flattening her fur to her sides. As she neared the crest of the hill, she saw a bloody battle emerge out of the hill's shadow.

Foxes were fleeing, chased by bloody warriors. Bodies, both cat and fox, littered the area. A brown tabby she-cat with green eyes and a white tail-tip chased a small fox away right past Snowfall.

"Who are you? Have you come to help?" she asked.

Snowfall nodded and replied, "I'm Snowfall, a WindClan warrior. Are you Leafstar, leader of ThunderClan?" The tabby nodded, and Snowfall stared. "Why are you here?" she asked, bewildered, "I thought ThunderClan wasn't helping!"

Leafstar smiled wryly. "Firestorm told me what had happened while I was on a hunting patrol, and I realized what must have been happening. Firestorm didn't tell me the entire story. I made him a warrior again at once and named a new deputy."

Snowfall nodded, understanding blossoming inside her. They raced down the hill together to join the fight.

Snowfall began slashing at a fox's muzzle, sending it reeling backward. She dove at its chest, slicing a deep gash in its fur. The fox barked in pain and raced off, away from the battle.

Snowfall looked around, and saw a fox diving at a RiverClan apprentice, teeth bared. She bounded in front of the apprentice, and the fox landed on top of her. Fear spread through her as her fur was sprayed with drool. She was about to die, and there was no Stragger to save her this time.

The fox grabbed her ear and chewed, making a deep gash in it. Snowfall raised a paw and managed to scratch its nose. It growled, and then dove straight at her neck. Suddenly, the fox disappeared. Snowfall turned to see it lying on the ground, while a brown blur sliced at it.

"You will never hurt one of my daughters!" the cat yowled, and Snowfall realized who it was. Diamondstar had saved her life, just like Stragger had.

Scrambling up, she joined the fight, slashing at the fox's face while Diamondstar attacked its back. Howling in agony, the fox wriggled free and fled across the moor.

Looking around, Snowfall realized that the battle was won. The last foxes were fleeing, running in different directions. Diamondstar joined Leafstar, Silentstar, and Darkstar as they yowled their victory to the sky. Snowfall felt elation surging through her. _They had won!_

The four Clans began separating, joining their Clanmates as they prepared to head homeward. Snowfall followed her mother and sisters as she padded along. Suddenly, Diamondstar halted, staring at the ground.

"Snowfall?" he called back, his voice tense and strained. Snowfall realized that they must have found Stragger's body.

"Yes, I know," she meowed calmly, bounding over to the limp, black bundle. She glanced back and called, "Can a cat help me carry him?" There was silence for a moment, and then Windwhisker and Breezetalon stepped forward.

"We'll help you," Breezetalon meowed. Snowfall purred gratefully, and stood still as Windwhisker draped Stragger's limp form over her back. Her two best friends padded along beside her, making sure Stragger was steady, as the Clan set off back to the camp. Snowfall slipped in first, dragging Stragger behind her.

She laid him in the center of the clearing, and arranged his limbs so that he could be sleeping. She closed his eyes fully with a lick, and then turned to see Nightwhisper approaching with some herbs in her jaws.

"These are for Stragger. You need to rub them over his pelt." Snowfall looked around at the herbs, confused slightly. She had never seen a cat die while she was living in the Clans, so had no idea what to do. Nightwhisper purred, and then settled down beside her.

"It's just traditional, what we do," she meowed. Snowfall nodded and picked up one of the herbs, rubbing it along Stragger's spine. Nightwhisper picked up another herb, and worked on his hindquarters. Soon, Stragger was completely covered in the herb's smell.

Snowfall looked up at Nightwhisper and meowed, "What happens now, usually?"

Nightwhisper glanced down at Stragger and meowed, "The cats that were closest to the dead cat stay out the night with the cat. The elders take the body away at sunrise to bury him or her." Snowfall nodded and settled down in a more comfortable position, ready to stay the night out with her closest friend.

The sun set on a scene of bloody, bruised cats. All the warriors and apprentices who took part in the fox battle were being treated by Crystalwing, who was helped by Flarepaw, Freepaw, and Swiftpaw.

Snowfall turned them away until the others were treated, then finally accepted Crystalwing's herbs to treat her shoulder and ear. She also had some small scratches all over her body, but Crystalwing had exhausted her supply of healing herbs, so she was merely instructed to keep them clean while they healed.

Snowfall looked down at Stragger's fur, now glowing in the light of the moon, which was almost all the way full. She would miss him more than anything. The stars began appearing, slowly fading into sight around the moon, glowing brightly. She remembered the night he had showed her how to navigate by the stars, and a wave of grief swept over her.

She crouched there, overcome with grief, until the moon was high overhead. At moonhigh, she looked up and was astounded to see that a bit of the Lion, most of the Mouse, and the Winged Rabbit's ears made up a face that looked like Stragger's.

Suddenly, ghostly eyes opened in the face, and she felt a slight disturbance in the air beside her.

_I will always be with you._ A voice drifted through the air, and Snowfall felt joy welling inside her. Stragger was there, right beside her. She knew he would be there, forever. She was safe, as long as Stragger was there. They were together, forever, and nothing could separate them. Stragger would stay beside her until she died, and she liked that just the way it was. She had found happiness at last.


End file.
